Michael Newrzella
Quick Facts
Biography
Michael Newrzella (September 1967 – June 27, 1993) was a German police officer and member of the GSG 9, the counter-terrorism and special operations unit of the German Federal Police. During a joint operation in Bad Kleinen by GSG 9, the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) and the Federal Border Police (Bundes- Grenzschutz, BGS) to arrest Red Army Faction members Wolfgang Grams and Birgit Hogefeld he was shot by Grams. Grams was severely wounded during the operation and died a few hours later.
Shortly after the operation there were allegations that Grams had not shot himself but was shot in the head from close distance by a police officer. The Staatsanwaltschaft Schwerin investigated these allegations and concluded in January 1994 that they were incorrect. Grams' parents challenged this conclusion in court, but it was upheld by five different courts, including the European Court of Human Rights in 1999.