He wounded two police officers and spent 11 days hiding in woods: gunman has been arrested in Bukovina, - National Police. VIDEO+PHOTOS
A 54-year-old man has been arrested in the Chernivtsi region after wounding two police officers on 28 July and subsequently going into hiding for 11 days.
This was reported by the National Police of Ukraine, as reported by Censor.NET.
What is known
As noted, over the course of 11 days, law enforcement officers continuously carried out a range of operational, investigative and search measures: they verified the information received, checked possible locations where the man might be hiding and combed the area.
The operation involved criminal investigation officers, detectives, dog handlers, bomb disposal experts, forensic specialists, patrol officers, members of the KORD special forces unit, drone operators, as well as servicemen from the National Guard of Ukraine.
Arrest of the shooter
As a result of the operations carried out, the police located the suspect and arrested him in accordance with Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine.
Law enforcement officers tracked down the suspect in a building where dry grass is stored.
"Following the armed attack, the man fled into the woods and remained in hiding from the police for 11 days. Throughout this time, our officers worked tirelessly to track him down. We mobilised the necessary resources, verified every piece of information received and searched all possible locations where he might be hiding. Today, this large-scale search operation culminated in the arrest of the attacker. The necessary legal procedures are currently being carried out with him. Our stance is clear: attacks on the lives and health of police officers will not go unpunished, and those responsible will be held to account before the law," emphasised Viktor Nechitailo, Head of the Main Department of the National Police in the Chernivtsi region.
During an authorised search of the man’s residence, police officers discovered and seized ammunition. The physical evidence has been sent for the necessary forensic analysis.
A pre-trial investigation is being conducted under Article 348 (attempt on the life of a law enforcement officer) and Article 263 (unlawful handling of weapons, ammunition or explosive substances) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The issue of imposing a preventive measure – remand in custody – on the suspect is currently being decided.
What led up to the incident
- As a reminder, on 28 July, during authorised investigative operations, a 54-year-old resident of the village of Yizhivtsi opened fire on police officers. Police officers arrived at the man’s residence to carry out an authorised search as part of criminal proceedings initiated under Part 1 of Article 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Whilst the investigative operations were underway, the man suddenly grabbed a weapon and opened fire in the direction of the law enforcement officers.
- As a result of the attack, two officers from the Bukovina Police Criminal Investigation Department sustained gunshot wounds. They are currently in hospital.
- After the attack, the assailant fled and went into hiding in a wooded area. A special police operation has been launched across the region to locate and apprehend him.
