A 60-year-old suspected gunman fled to Überackern in Upper Austria’s Innviertel after allegedly shooting a 32-year-old in Bavaria. He even tricked helicopters equipped with thermal imagers. Finally, police dog “Denver” tracked down the heavily armed Kosovo. His caretaker describes the adventure mission in the “Krone” interview.
As reported, the movie-ready scenes took place Friday night in the border region of Bavaria and Upper Austria. After shots were fired in front of an amusement arcade in Burghausen, Germany, around 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, a 32-year-old collapsed and died. Passers-by fled to safety as the gunman continued to shoot, then fled in a BMW.
A large contingent of emergency services were immediately on the scene and a 60-year-old Kosovar from Burghausen was identified as the suspected gunman. Because it was unclear where the armed suspect had fled to, social media also warned the population: “Do not take hitchhikers with you!” And because Burghausen is located right on the border river Salzach, the Bavarian police officers warned their colleagues in Upper Austria.
The rapid intervention groups were called in and during a patrol along the border in the Innviertel, officials discovered the BMW around 10:55 PM in the “Inn-Salzach-Blick” parking lot in Überackern. As it was unclear whether the gunman would plan a confrontation, they withdrew, secured all escape routes and took the Cobra.
Germans request extradition
She received support from dog handler Cordula B., who was here working all day on her 43rd birthday with her five-year-old shepherd “Denver”. Without him, the suspect might have escaped.
A helicopter had previously flown over the area, but was unable to locate the person sought. He was crouched in a hole in the ground and was therefore invisible to the thermal imager. But the man could not fool the nose of “Denver”. At 1:28 a.m., the dog captured the fugitive, who subsequently offered no resistance. The Kosovar has been arrested and Germany has requested extradition.
“Without a dog we would have walked past”
In an interview, Cordula B. tells how she caught the murder suspect with her “Denver”. Of course, the “OÖ Krone” also congratulated the joint search success with “Denver”. “Thank you. We probably only experience something like this once in our professional life,” says B., “and we are training exactly for this moment.”
“OÖ Krone”: How did the assignment go?
Cordula B.: In the beginning we were used for checks. When the car was found and it was certain that the perpetrator was not inside, Cobra’s colleagues called us in. ‘Denver’ picked up the smell of the car and made his way along the long line of the track. I was behind him with the flashlight and then two Cobra agents came forward.
The suspect was armed and had just shot someone. Are not you scared?
Of course something could happen, but I’m blocking it right now, you’re fully concentrated. We are police. Who else but us should do it?
How did you catch the suspect?
“Denver” is a dike and straight down. He went back upstairs, following the motto “Miss, are you there too?” and then down again and started barking. I didn’t see him, but I knew he was with the person I was looking for and called my colleagues. He was hidden in a hollow in the ground, without a dog we would not have found him, we would have walked past it.
But then there was no resistance.
Happy. The suspect still had the weapon with him.
Was there before „Denver“ a special reward?
I had no treats or toys for him to bite into. So I gave him my beret to bite into. I think I need a new one. A colleague brought a large bone to the office and exceptionally he was allowed to sleep with me.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
