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Teen burglar gunned down by cops remains in custody

By Thomas Hochwarter

A teenager whose pal was gunned down by cops in a Krems supermarket is to remain in custody for a further four weeks, prosecutors said today (Thurs).

Eva Taborsky, head state prosecutor at the court in Krems, Lower Austria, said there was still a danger 17-year-old Roland T. could commit more crimes � despite the fact the teenager is recovering from shot wounds to both thighs after officers opened fire on him.

There was public outrage after Roland T. and 14-year-old Florian T. were shot at by police responding to an alarm at the Merkur supermarket on 5 August.

Florian T. was shot dead in the pitch-black shop after officers said at the time the pair tried to attack them.

It was discovered that the boys were armed only with a screwdriver and a garden hoe and Roland T. has told investigators he and his pal were trying to run when the police opened fire.

Florian T. was buried at a ceremony attended by 200 friends and family members in Krems last week.

Amnesty International (AI) in Austria head Heinz Patzelt today blasted the decision to extend Roland T.�s custody as "information prevention".

He claimed prosecutors wanted to rob the boy of his chance to publicly give his point of view which contradicts the statements of the police officers � who could face manslaughter charges.

Patzelt said that, considering his serious injuries, it was "bizarre" to claim there was a danger the teenager could commit more crimes.

Just after the killing he said the country�s police officers were "generally not trigger-happy" but criticised the fact Roland T. was interviewed soon after the incident while investigators waited three days to speak to the two officers because they were suffering from shock.

Roland T. claimed he and his 14-year-old pal Florian P. were fleeing when the cops gunned them down. The two police officers � a man and a woman � told investigators they were attacked by the teenage pair and acted in self-defence.

The police officers said the 17-year-old wanted to hit them with the garden hoe he carried. But many observers have questioned why the officers did not wait for support or ordered to have the lights turned on in the supermarket since the incident occurred in the dark.

The teenagers grew up in Lerchenfeld, a part of Krems which is described as a "ghetto" by media and some young people living there. It has been reported that elderly people were scared to go outside at night because of local gangs.

Prosecutor Friedrich K�hl said an on-site inspection with the two cops and the teenager would be carried out within the next few weeks, adding that forensic expert Christian Reiter and weapons specialist Ingo Wieser has been assigned to investigate.

Investigations are continuing into a 28-year-old Romanian who has admitted he drove Roland T. to the supermarket on the night of the robbery. He has claimed he did not know what his friend planned to do there.

Austrian Times

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