Investigation closed into police use of force during hammer assault incident in Tampere

An investigation will not be initiated regarding the police’s use of force in early July in Tampere, according to a statement from the prosecution. Tarmo Tanner, the head of the investigation and a special prosecutor, determined that there is no reason to suspect the police’s actions constituted a criminal offense.

The incident in question occurred on July 2, when a man born in the 1990s struck another man on the head with a hammer late at night while the latter was out for a walk. The attacker and the victim were previously unknown to each other. Following the assault, the attacker reportedly walked toward the city center with a pistol in hand, as reported to emergency services.

Police were first on the scene and confronted the suspect on Satamakatu. Despite police orders, he continued walking, prompting one officer to use a Taser, which had no effect. As the man began to withdraw an object from inside his jacket, the officer shot him in the lower leg with his service weapon. The item in his jacket was later identified as a hammer.

The evaluation of the situation included a preliminary assessment of the police’s use of their firearm. According to the statement, the police’s actions were aimed at stopping someone posing an immediate and severe danger to another person’s life and health. Given the rapid progression of events and circumstances at the scene, a less-lethal method was deemed unviable, particularly since the initially employed less-lethal tool had failed. Information that the individual had previously committed serious violence against a bystander and possessed a firearm also influenced the police’s assessment of the situation.