No prosecution of officer who shot man with sword

The Public Prosecution Service will not prosecute an officer who shot a suspect in the hip on Stationsweg in The Hague on June 10. According to the PPS, the use of the firearm was lawful.

The police responded that morning to a report of a man shouting and vandalizing his home. Inside, the officers found the resident holding a sword. When he approached the officers with it, one of them shot him in the leg. The man was treated for his injuries in the hospital and discharged two days later.

The Public Prosecution Service reviewed the case and believes the officer acted lawfully in the situation. He and his colleague were standing on a narrow landing at the top of a steep staircase. The suspect was warned first but did not respond, and there was no time to use the stun gun given the danger.

The parties involved have been informed of the decision.