Police find blank-firing gun and suspected cocaine after scooter chase

A 15-year-old Afghan riding an electric scooter collided with a police car while fleeing officers in Wels on Monday evening, and police later found a blank-firing pistol and a small bag of white powder on him, ORF reported.

A police patrol spotted the teenager on Linzer Straße, a street in the city, shortly after 7 p.m. He initially appeared to stop but suddenly continued riding. During the escape, he ignored traffic rules and rode the wrong way down a one-way street towards the city centre.

Officers overtook him and stopped their patrol car to try to bring him to a halt again. According to police, the teenager was unable to respond to the stop signals because the scooter’s brakes were not working. He crashed into the rear of the police vehicle and was thrown, together with the scooter, into a parked car.

The teenager and the officers were not injured. Both vehicles were damaged.

During the check, officers found a blank-firing pistol and a small bag containing white powder in the teenager’s bag. Police said they suspected the substance was cocaine.

The scooter reached speeds of up to 47 kilometres per hour during a police inspection, well above the permitted limits for such vehicles. Reports will now be filed against the 15-year-old.