German prosecutors end investigation into soldier shot during military exercise

The Landshut public prosecutor's office has discontinued preliminary investigations into a shooting that occurred during the Bundeswehr exercise ‘Marshal Power’ in Erding, near Munich. The incident, which took place on October 22 last year, resulted in a soldier being wounded in the face by police gunfire.

According to the prosecutor's office and the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office (LKA), investigations concluded that neither the Bundeswehr nor the police officers involved engaged in criminal conduct. The shooting occurred following a misunderstanding: witnesses mistook an armed soldier for a threat and alerted the police. Upon arrival, police believed they were facing an imminent attack, while soldiers believed they were participating in a training scenario involving external forces.

A soldier reportedly opened fire using blanks, which the police mistook for live ammunition, prompting them to return fire with lethal rounds.

Lawyers representing the injured soldier have announced plans to file a complaint against the decision. They argue that the failure to identify which specific officer fired the shot and the lack of a formal investigation despite the soldier's permanent facial disfigurement sends a ‘fatal signal.’ The legal team also noted that while the police were informed of the large-scale exercise, critical information failed to reach all personnel on the ground.