Police shots in Vienna: Man with knives threatened civil servants!

Police shots in Vienna: Man with knives threatened civil servants!

On June 16, 2025, there was a dramatic incident in Vienna-Brigittenau, which shows the worrying reality in dealing with mentally ill people. A 28-year-old Serb had alerted his parents because he was in a psychological state of emergency and could possibly injure himself. They called the emergency call around 1.30 p.m., which led to the immediate intervention of the officials of the Brigittenau city police command. The Vienna professional fire brigade opened the apartment door so that the police gained access, whereupon the special unit Wega entered.

The alarm reached its peak when the man came out of the kitchen and threatened the police officers with a kitchen knife. Despite repeated speech, he did not respond to the officials' testing. An attempt to stop him with a taser failed. The situation escalated in such a way that the officers had to give up shots to protect themselves and others. These shots met the man and caused life -threatening injuries. Immediately the Vienna career rescue took care of him before he was taken to the hospital, where he is now fighting for his life. 5min.at reports that ...

psychological crises require specialized reaction

This incident in Brigittenau highlights the challenges that the police are faced with in dealing with people in psychological crises. Similar events in Germany show that police officers are often involved in situations that deal with people who are in an acute psychological crisis. Since 2019, 37 people have been shot by the police in Germany in such conditions. Experts urgently demand better preparation for civil servants for such situations, since there are often a lack of financial resources and staff. [Tagesschau describes that…] (https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/polizei-psychische-ausfeites situation-100.html)

The case of the 28-year-old man in Vienna is not only an individual incident, but raises fundamental questions about the procedure of the police in dealing with mentally ill. The man's parents were concerned and looked for help, but the mission ended in a tragedy. A uniformed reaction can sometimes be the last thing that is necessary in such tense situations. KURIER reports that ...

It remains to be hoped that this incident will not only be regarded as an individual case, but as an impetus for a comprehensive discussion about the need for further training and further measures for the police to improve the handling of mentally stressed people. In a world in which mental health is often pushed into the background, it is essential that the curriculum for police training is adapted to enable quick and effective action in crisis situations.