Man dies after police shooting in North Hesse

A 66-year-old man has died weeks after being shot by police in the Schwalm-Eder district of northern Hesse, Germany. The man succumbed to his injuries on July 20 in a Kassel clinic, according to the Kassel public prosecutor's office.

The shooting incident occurred on July 2, stemming from a police response to a report of a vehicle being driven erratically. Authorities were investigating a suspected drunk driving case when officers visited the man's residence in Guxhagen to clarify the situation.

Prosecutors stated that the man allegedly threatened the officers with a firearm, believed to be a blank-firing weapon, near his apartment. In response, the police officers discharged their service weapons, hitting the man in the upper body and causing life-threatening injuries.

An investigation into the use of force by the police has been initiated, a standard procedure in such cases. The Hessian State Criminal Police Office is leading the inquiry. The public prosecutor's office has also ordered an autopsy of the deceased, the results of which are pending along with the final investigation findings.