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Nine minutes before the killer is shut down is a record in an international comparison. How was that possible?
This was possible mainly because three vehicles were dispatched from the so-called sectors when the first shot was fired: the first emergency vehicle rarely needed more than five minutes to reach the scene. A colleague quickly radioed in the appropriate tone: “Shots are being fired.” Shortly after, there was an escalation and an exchange of fire with the patrolmen who were chasing the terrorist. Hats off to these colleagues because they were armed with inferiority. It takes a lot of heart and a good stomach to pursue this when the perpetrator is out with a Kalashnikov. It is the training requirement to put pressure on the perpetrator. But that’s the theory. Colleagues gave us the exact movement profile of the killer. So my WEGA colleagues got to the exact place where the killer was staying. This is how – as they call it in the sport – this fabulous nine minute time. This time has not yet been reached internationally. We receive congratulations from special forces, for example in the United States. But we are very humble and we know that many gears have turned in the right direction during this mission. There was good luck with that too.
At first it was suspected that there were several hitmen in the city. How did this evaluation come about?
We received numerous reports of a man with a rifle in the subway, shooting in Mariahilfer Strasse, or a hostage-taking in an Asian restaurant. We thought, now we have a terrorist attack similar to the one in Paris: several perpetrators, several locations – or in a word: a nightmare. In this situation, it is important to check the situation quickly: Are the reports real? Is it a mystification? Or they are prank calls, of which, sadly, they were numerous. In total, we had 50 fake missions scattered throughout Vienna on the night of terror. These false reports hamper police work.
How is an antiterrorist operation different in its methodology ofregular police training?
Whether the murderer worships a prophet or goes crazy because he can’t handle the stress of school is de facto irrelevant to our mission. In both cases, the goal of the perpetrators is to cause as much damage as possible in the shortest possible time. Typically, the job of the police is to take momentum out of a situation and reduce it. There is a paradigm shift in counterterrorism operations. The sooner we put pressure on a killer, the less damage happens. This destroys the terrorist’s plan and his organization. This saves us time. In the Parisian concert hall Bataclan, it was seen that hostages were always shot when the police did not employ the killers, even if they were only shot in a theater window. The result is that the police must come forward in such situations and point out the murderer: “Take me.” Since the terrorist does not wait for the special forces, the patrol officers are also trained in this method.
Even if he was a terrorist, his colleague shot a person. What kind of support do you receive?
Both colleagues have been with the police for a long time. The immediate shooter has been with WEGA for 15 years. He is a man with a lot of experience. If you are not completely closed off to reality, then you must count on the use of firearms in a special unit. I don’t want to lean too far now, but I have the impression that they are doing well. You are very realistic and thoughtful about the situation. But in no way does it look like the movie. There are no “give me five” from the other colleagues in the hall. It is not celebrated in the Irish pub after such an outing.
Within minutes, 190 Cobra and more than 100 WEGA officials were in town. Former FPÖ Interior Minister Herbert Kickl claims that this contingent was on duty because there should have been raids on Islamists the next day. It was like this?
The number of emergency services was so great because our colleagues heard the news and volunteered. The police know that all men are necessary in such situations.
WEGA is recognized for its commitment. The protection of the constitution has to bear the charge that it could have prevented the attack. Would it have been possible?
In Viennese I would say that everything is “hätti, wari, ti”. Reading the book from behind is always easier. We are an operating unit and we have very little information.
