Szczecin court sentences hunter for fatal shooting of soldier

The District Court in Szczecin has sentenced a hunter, Stanisław H., to two years and ten months in prison for the fatal shooting of a soldier. His assistant, Tomasz F., received a sentence of one year and three months.

The incident occurred in November 2023 at the Krzekowo Tactical Training Area. The men had entered the area without the required permits to hunt wild boar. During the incident, Stanisław H. fired a single shot from a hunting rifle, believing he was aiming at an animal, which he claimed might have been a raccoon. However, the shot struck a soldier participating in military exercises, who later died despite resuscitation efforts.

In her ruling, Judge Monika Orzechowska criticized the defendants for failing to check the consequences of the shot. She noted that the men fled the scene immediately after the shot, despite seeing soldiers in shock near the gate. The judge remarked that the defendants' actions suggested they were attempting to establish a defense rather than assessing the situation.