Polish police shoot man wielding metal pipe mistaken for machete
Police in the southern city of Sosnowiec shot a 45-year-old man who later died in hospital after he charged at officers while wielding a metal pipe that resembled a machete, prosecutors said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at around 4:40am following multiple emergency calls regarding an agitated individual who was damaging cars and a city bus. Police officers encountered the man fleeing while brandishing a dangerous object and, after he ignored repeated commands to stop, fired five shots. He was taken to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Initial reports indicated that the man was in possession of a machete, but the weapon was later determined to be a metal pipe. The deceased individual, a Polish citizen from outside Sosnowiec, was not carrying any identification.
The District Prosecutor's Office has launched two parallel investigations, one into possible police misconduct and another concerning the man's acts of property destruction and assault on law enforcement officers. Prosecutors said such proceedings are standard procedure following any discharge of firearms.
Officials have dismissed social media speculation regarding the man's nationality, confirming he was not a migrant. Sosnowiec Mayor Arkadiusz Checinski and Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski expressed their support for the officers and called for calm.(PAP)
mj/jch
