Berlin — Civil rights activists are demanding an independent investigation after a Black man was fatally shot by police last week outside a nightclub in northwest Germany. The killing sparked nationwide protests and raised concerns about what some believe is systemic racism within Germany’s law enforcement agencies.
The victim, identified as 21-year-old Lorenz A., was shot multiple times from behind by a 27-year-old police officer in the city of Oldenburg. According to prosecutors, an autopsy found that Lorenz A. was struck in the back of the head, torso and hip. A fourth bullet reportedly grazed his thigh. He died in a local hospital of the gunshot wounds.
Authorities said Lorenz A. had threatened nightclub bouncers with pepper spray and a knife after being denied entry. When confronted by police, they said he again used pepper spray in a “threatening manner.”
By Monday, however, prosecutors said preliminary evidence including security camera video and witness reports provided no indication that Lorenz A. had threatened officers with a knife at the time he was shot.
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The involved officers’ body cameras were turned off, the police have said. There is no legal obligation for police in Germany to have their body cameras turned on during operations; it is at their discretion.
The shooting has sparked anger across Germany, with more than 10,000 demonstrators gathering at a “Justice for Lorenz” rally in Oldenburg on Friday. Vigils were also planned in Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and in Vienna in neighboring Austria.
Rights groups including Amnesty International and the Black People in Germany Initiative (ISD), have demanded an independent inquiry, arguing that internal police investigations are inherently biased.
“This killing impacts not just Lorenz’s family, but all people affected by racism in Germany,” Amnesty International said in a statement.
The campaign groups are also pushing for police officers to be compelled to turn their body cameras on during operations involving weapons.
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The incident echoes cases of police violence in the United States, where the 2020 murder of George Floyd by an officer in Minnesota sparked a surge in protests against what many see as systemic racism in law enforcement and police brutality.
Just as American activists have pushed for independent oversight and systemic reform, German groups are now calling for the establishment of a national office to investigate allegations of police misconduct.
The case has also drawn comparisons to the death of Oury Jalloh, an asylum seeker from Sierra Leone who died under suspicious circumstances in a German police holding cell in 2005, after being set on fire while handcuffed. That case has remained a symbol of alleged institutional racism and impunity within German police forces for two decades.
Despite Germany’s relatively low rates of officer-involved shootings (which was long around 10 per year) the number has risen sharply, with 22 deaths recorded last year alone.
A 2024 study found that nearly a third of German police officers reported having overheard racist comments from colleagues, highlighting what many consider a broader cultural problem.
