unsaveSave
expand-left
full screen The car in which the 40-year-old man was sitting. Photo: Carina Johansen / NTB
The driver saw the 40-year-old passenger’s weapon and alerted his family.
Then two people were shot dead.
– The whole situation was perceived as threatening for him, says the driver’s lawyer VG.
It was shortly after 01, on the night of Saturday, that the police were alerted to a threatening situation in Jæren, south of Stavanger.
Then the 50-year-old driver had discovered that his co-passenger was armed and asked his family to call 112.
– He called the police emergency number to announce that the two men were out in a car and that the other man was armed, says prosecutor Eli Valheim to VG.
– The police identified the car the two were driving and a supposed place they were going to, which was the man’s home.
The 40-year-old man, who later turned out to be a sports shooter, had several weapons registered on him. When the police approached, he opened fire and killed the 25-year-old policeman Markus Botnen.
The shooter himself was killed when police returned fire.
expand-left
full screen Markus Botnen, 25, was killed in the shooting. Photo: Police / Handout / NTB
expand-left
full screen Photo: Carina Johansen / NTB
The 50-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting attempted murder, but was released on Saturday evening. The suspicions against him have weakened and he denies any crime, according to the police.
According to lawyer Hege Veland, he felt threatened.
– The whole situation was perceived as threatening for him and that is the reason why he turned to a family member and informed about what had happened. His actions indicate that he needed to call for help, says Veland to VG.
Police are now reviewing video footage of the shootout that was filmed by drones. But the police do not want to say how many shots were fired.
– There are images from above that show people’s movements at the scene until the shooting is over, says Eli Valheim.