Prosecutor reviews police shooting during Pyhäntä pursuit

Yle reports that a prosecutor is assessing whether to open a criminal investigation into a police officer’s use of a firearm during a pursuit in Pyhäntä, in North Ostrobothnia.

The incident began on Saturday, October 10, when police tried to stop a vehicle in Piippola during traffic enforcement to check whether its driver was fit to drive. The driver ignored the order and fled.

On Highway 28 in Pyhäntä, police fired toward the fleeing vehicle to stop it. The driver eventually ended the flight and stopped. Preliminary information indicates that no one was injured.

The pursuit, which began on Saturday afternoon, created considerable danger to other traffic, police said. The Oulu Police Department is separately investigating a report concerning the person who fled from police.

Special prosecutor Jonna Ryynänen, who is leading the preliminary assessment, told Yle that it will examine whether there are grounds to begin a criminal investigation into the police officer’s actions. The assessment is expected to take about two weeks. A prosecutor leads the assessment because it concerns police conduct while on duty.