The officer who shot the moving tractor with Jouke (16) in Heerenveen on July 5, 2022, has been given a suspended prison sentence of one month and 80 hours of community service.
He was charged with attempted manslaughter.
The officer reported during the hearing on November 10 that the officer “should and could have acted differently.” According to him, there was no immediate danger that evening.
Split second
The officer, who has been with the police for 45 years, thought for a moment that the trigger was coming towards him. He indicated that he should have decided in a split second. “I have made a decision. I can’t change that. I wish I had never done it.”
The bullet hit an iron bar in the cabin. Had it hit a few millimeters further, the shooting could have been fatal.
Ambulance station
The officer felt threatened. Farmers and sympathizers had protested during the day on an industrial estate against the government’s nitrogen plans. Among other things, they blocked the ambulance station. After then mayor Tjeerd van der Zwan issued an emergency order, they left.
The farmers drove on the highway, through the shoulder, against traffic. The officer knew that he did not have a riot police on hand, he had already been deployed elsewhere at farmers’ protests. He was on site with five other colleagues. Lawyer Tjalling van der Goot reported that the police were “thrown to the lions.” You have to stop the hikers, but you can’t do anything. And if you do something, you will be in front of the Blue Chamber.”
Separate room
For security reasons, the officer was shielded during the hearing. For example, he sat in a separate room and was not visible to the public in the video rooms. His voice became distorted.
The hearing took place before the Blue Chamber of the Central Netherlands court in Utrecht. It deals with cases in which violence has been used by investigating officers. The Blue Chamber has existed since July 1, 2022.