This morning in Court, during the criminal proceedings against the police officers, the Judge presented the videos of the shooting in Madiki Kavel, where two police officers fired 20 shots and killed Ayden C.J. Lanoy.
It can be understood from the investigations conducted that one of the police officers fired the fatal shot that killed Ayden Lanoy.
Shooting Video Shown in Court
The Judge allowed the video of the shooting to be shown in the courtroom. Before doing so, the Judge first held a separate meeting with Ayden Lanoy’s parents, the defense attorneys of the officers, and the officers themselves. Afterwards, the hearing continued with the public present.
The Judge replayed the video and explained that it shows a Toyota vehicle and the police patrol arriving on a dead-end street. The Toyota turned and stopped almost colliding with the police vehicle that had blocked the road. The Toyota then reversed. Meanwhile, both officers are seen exiting their vehicle with firearms drawn. M.V. was the driver and G.R.D. was on the passenger side.
The Judge noted that what stands out is that M.V. and G.R.D. immediately pointed their weapons at the car. Although there is no audio, the gunfire is visible. The exact moment of the first shot remains a point of discussion. The National Criminal Investigation Department (Landsrecherche) is of the opinion that the first shot was fired while the car was reversing, whereas the officers’ attorneys disagree.
The Judge stated that it can clearly be seen that both M.V. and G.R.D. fired their weapons. M.V. was positioned in front of the vehicle and G.R.D. at the side. G.R.D. continued firing from the side and from behind the vehicle.
According to the Judge, the security footage appears to show that the vehicle was attempting to drive away and was not attacking the officers. M.V., after reviewing the footage, stated that what he saw does not align with how he experienced the situation. G.R.D., however, stated that what is visible matches his experience.
The video shows the car moving to the right side of officer M.V., who was standing in front of the vehicle, while both officers were firing at it. After some time, the vehicle came to a stop.
According to M.V., he jumped aside and while on the ground saw the rear lights in his direction. G.R.D. stated that he saw the vehicle moving toward M.V. The car then slowly drove forward, collided with something, and stopped. The Judge stated that Lanoy was found seriously injured. Attempts were made to resuscitate him, but he passed away.
Bullet Perforated a Major Artery
The investigation shows that a bullet struck Ayden Lanoy from left to right. The bullet perforated a major artery, and due to blood loss he died.
The Judge asked M.V. what he thinks about the case. M.V., visibly emotional, said he never imagined that by using his firearm someone would die. He stated that every day he tries to cope with the thoughts about what happened. When asked whether he wished to say something to Lanoy’s parents, he said he never intended for something like this to occur.
G.R.D. stated that the case affects him every day, especially at night. He expressed regret about what happened and said that as a police officer one is there to help, not for something like this to occur. When asked whether he wanted to say something to the parents, he stated that there is nothing he can say that would change what happened.
One Officer Fired the Fatal Shot
The Judge stated that the key question is: who fired the fatal shot? The Judge noted that G.R.D.’s weapon was angled downward. Technical investigation shows many bullet impacts on the left side of the vehicle. The bullet that entered through the left side door struck Ayden Lanoy fatally.
According to the Judge, all indications suggest that the fatal shot came from G.R.D. M.V. fired three shots, with only one bullet hitting the front of the vehicle. G.R.D., positioned at the side, fired 17 shots, and it appears that one of those shots struck Ayden Lanoy.
According to M.V., he fired one shot at the hood of the engine and one shot while on the ground. He stated he is not aware of firing three shots.