15-year-old shot dead by police outside Dutch McDonald’s after alleged fatbike robbery
Investigation ongoing after police officer-involved shooting near Rotterdam; firearm found at the scene and several arrests connected to the robbery.
A 15-year-old boy was shot dead by police outside a McDonald’s restaurant in Capelle aan den IJssel, near Rotterdam, on Sunday after allegedly stealing a fatbike at gunpoint. The suspect, identified only as Jerryson, attempted to flee with a firearm after police told him to stop several times, a Rotterdam-Rijnmond police spokesperson said. The incident occurred in front of many young customers near the exit of the branch, De Telegraaf reported.
Police said Jerryson had held up the owner of the off-road bicycle around 4:30 p.m. before fleeing to the McDonald’s and brandishing his weapon again. Witnesses told De Telegraaf the teenager jumped a fence as police pursued him, and three shots were fired. Video circulating online purports to show a police officer firing at least three shots on the patio outside the McDonald’s. Emergency personnel tried to revive the suspect, but were unsuccessful. A trauma helicopter was dispatched to the scene. A firearm was found at the scene. Whether it was a genuine firearm remains to be determined through further investigation.
Police subsequently arrested a 15-year-old boy from Rotterdam and a 15-year-old from Gouda in connection to the robbery. Two others were later arrested. Joost Manusama, the mayor of the village, said the shooting was “terrible and sad” and a great loss for the deceased boy’s relatives. The boy’s foster mother, 59, is known locally as “Mother Teresa” for her charitable work. Sources told De Telegraaf that Jerryson had been placed with a woman from Curaçao in Gouda’s Korte Akkeren neighborhood. The National Criminal Investigation Department took over the probe from local police. Investigations are ongoing at the restaurant and the scene. The McDonald’s will remain closed until the probe is finished. Manusama urged patience until the investigation concludes, emphasizing the emotional impact on bystanders, including children.
Only one person was killed in a standoff with police in the Netherlands last year, NOS cited police figures, noting that officers drew their weapons 1,700 times and fired targeted shots just 13 times.