Prosecutors take over probe after police shooting

Prosecutors in St. Pölten have taken over the investigation after a man was shot by police near Michelhausen, ORF reports. The 38-year-old has not yet been questioned, and it is unclear whether investigators will be able to interview him on Friday.

The Hungarian man was reportedly in an apparently confused state on the railway tracks near Michelhausen in the district of Tulln on Thursday. He allegedly acted aggressively towards an ÖBB emergency coordinator and police officers and attacked them, including after police used pepper spray. He was eventually shot in the thigh.

Police said the man was not in a life-threatening condition. He remains in hospital.

Authorities have not provided further details about the circumstances of the shooting. The Westbahn railway line was closed in the affected section until shortly after 3pm for crime-scene work and evidence collection, causing long delays for many passengers.

The use of the firearm is being investigated by the Interior Ministry’s Investigations and Complaints Unit for Allegations of Abuse, rather than by Lower Austria police. The unit will report its findings to the St. Pölten prosecutor’s office.