During a police operation in Enger, North Rhine-Westphalia, a man was seriously injured by police shots. The 59-year-old is said to have set fire to parts of a residential building late Thursday evening, as the Bielefeld public prosecutor and the police announced in a joint statement on Friday morning. During the operation in the Herford district, the man also handled a knife.

At least one police officer shot during the operation, it said. The Bielefeld public prosecutor's office was not yet able to provide details of how this came about on Friday morning. A prosecutor said the investigation was ongoing. Seriously injured by the shots and smoke from the fire, he was taken to a hospital. According to the current status, there is no danger to life.

In the past few weeks, there have been a number of cases in North Rhine-Westphalia in which police officers have taken up arms. It was not until Thursday afternoon in Essen that a police officer shot a man and seriously injured him. The investigators initially gave no information on the background to the operation.

press release