(JTA) — A German policeman died of injuries suffered in a shootout during a raid on the home of a neo-Nazi.
The death of the unnamed officer was announced Thursday, hours after the shootout the previous day.
The shooter — a 49-year-old member of the Reichsburger, a fringe group that believes Hitler’s Reich still exists — was arrested and lightly wounded in the raid. Another officer is recovering from a gunshot wound and two others were lightly wounded, The New York Times reported.
The unnamed man shot at police who entered his home in Georgensmund, in the Bavarian region, with the intention of confiscating his stash of at least 30 guns, the Times reported Wednesday.
According to authorities, the suspect had failed to pay taxes and vehicle fines for months. He had a hunting license but was declared unfit to own weapons after ignoring his summons. He could now face murder charges.
The right-wing Reichsburger group, which is believed to have a few hundred members, still recognizes Germany’s 1937 borders. Its members often refuse to pay taxes and have been increasingly involved in violent confrontations with civilians and police.
“Bavaria has not previously witnessed such a brutal attack on the state by the Reichsburger,” said Bavaria’s interior minister, Joachim Herrmann. “We will keep an even more intense watch on the movement.”
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