Witnesses filmed

Excavator rampage only stopped by gunfire

The suspected rampage ended next to a car dealership in Baden-Württemberg.

(Bild: APA/onw-images/Fabian Koss)

Dangerous incident in Germany: police had to stop an excavator driving amok by firing shots. The suspect, who had previously gone on a rampage on the premises of a construction company, died.

The man had stolen an excavator from the construction company's premises in the Franconian town of Grünsfeld (Baden-Württemberg), damaging a patrol car and other vehicles and injuring three police officers. It was initially reported that only one officer was trapped during the wild chase.

A Facebook video shows the journey with the hijacked construction machine:

The driver was finally stopped in Tauberbischofsheim by a shot fired and died on the spot, a police spokeswoman confirmed. Resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful.

The journey took more than 50 minutes
The police wrote on X about a "suspected rampage" that lasted more than 50 minutes. The suspect is said to have previously destroyed the entire building inventory at the construction company. 

Another video shared on social media shows the excavator repeatedly turning on its own axis, officers circling the vehicle and firing shots. A police spokeswoman reported that patrol cars had previously followed the excavator, but did not get in its way. "Putting a police car in the way of an excavator - you can imagine how sensible that is."

Another video on X shows the police attack:

At least four patrol cars were damaged, it is unclear how many civilian cars.

The driver of the excavator was ultimately stopped by a shot fired, the police confirmed.

(Bild: APA/onw-images/Fabian Koss)

Suspect is a 38-year-old German
It was initially unclear whether the man worked for the construction company involved. For the time being, nothing has been revealed about the motive and possible background - only this much: he is a 38-year-old German, reports dpa.

The officer who was trapped in the incident has since been able to leave hospital. A total of three police officers were slightly injured, and all three officers are reportedly unfit for duty.

Police union: Extremely dangerous situation
The police union praised the efforts of the officers on the scene. "The forces deployed acted professionally in an extremely dynamic and dangerous situation and thus prevented worse things from happening," said Thomas Mohr, deputy state chairman of the GdP in Baden-Württemberg. "It is tragic that one life was lost in the end, but the police had a responsibility to prevent further victims and ensure the safety of the population."