One Special Unit Officer Killed With Suspect, Additional Two Injured in Belgium Shootout

At approximately 0345 EST, initial reports from local Belgian media indicated that a barricade situation and shootout was underway between a heavily armed suspect and Federal Police Special Units. According to Sudpresse, the elite police force was serving a warrant against a man at his residence on Rue de l’Etang, in Lodelinsart, Charleroi, Belgium. Public prosecutor of Charleroi, Vincent Fiasse, reported the warrant service and that upon making contact with the suspect, the police officers were met with a hail of gunfire.

By 0430 EST, local media reported that the suspect was detained and that one of the police officers initially hit had died of their wounds on the way to the hospital. An additional officer is in critical condition. The Belgian Red Cross had established a psychosocial intervention service on the scene of the shooting as a cordon had isolated the neighborhood.

By 0630 EST, it was reported that the suspect had also died from injuries sustained during the Special Unit operation to neutralize the shooter. Belgian Interior Minister Verlinden was the first to report the Special Forces activity on scene.

The Directorate of special units (DSU) is the police tactical unit of the Belgian Federal Police. DSU has about 500 police officers. It is not clear which branch of the DSU conducted the warrant, but there is a highly centralized Intervention Unit which consists of about 50 operators specifically trained for barricades, hostage situations, and counter-terrorism scenarios. In such a small force, the death of one operator and the injury of two is a heavy blow.

Tessaron
Tessaron
United States Military Academy and American Military University Alumni. Victor covers flash military, intelligence, and geo-political updates.

MORE FROM ATLAS NEWS

A Look at South Africa and Israel’s Oral Arguments in the Emergency ICJ Hearing

Earlier on May 16th, South Africa presented their oral arguments in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for the first hearing on their requested emergency provisional measures against Israel...

Coup Attempt in The DRC, Three US Nationals Arrested

Two United States nationals and up to 20 Congolese have been arrested following an attempted coup in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) early Sunday morning. What You Need...