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Main accused S. in court in Kaiserslautern
Photo: UWE ANSPACH / AFP
The act caused horror nationwide: After the double murder of two police officers near Kusel in Rhineland-Palatinate, the main accused admitted shots, but claims to have fired them in a kind of self-defense situation.
Andreas S. wanted to stop shots fired at him, said one of his defense attorneys.
At the start of the proceedings before the Kaiserslautern district court, he read out a statement from his client.
In the statement, S. described what he felt was a confusing situation, in which he did not know who was shooting at whom and why.
His co-defendant Florian V. held a shotgun in his hand, the statement read by the defense said.
He seemed "mentally absent".
S. finally snatched the gun from him.
Charged with double murder
A representative of the public prosecutor's office had previously read out the indictment.
Accordingly, S. is said to have killed his two victims on January 31 during a random night traffic check on a country road to cover up his activities as a poacher.
He is therefore charged with two counts of murder and various other offences.
The act sparked nationwide outrage.
Originally, V. was also suspected of murder.
He had accompanied S. in the car on the night of the crime.
However, the murder charge against him was dropped.
V., however, accuses the indictment, like S., of joint commercial poaching on the night of the crime.
He must therefore also answer in court in the process.
13 more dates are scheduled until the beginning of September.
fek/AFP