Officers claimed the teen, identified as Mouhamed Dramé, had run toward them with a knife, whereupon they used pepper spray and two tasers before shooting him with an automatic pistol.
POLISH BUS TRAVELING TO BELGIUM CRASHES ON GERMAN HIGHWAY, INJURING 35
Five German police officers have been charged on account of the shooting death of a Senegal teenager.
German news agency dpa reported that the officer who fired the shots was being charged with manslaughter, while his superior officer was being charged with incitement to dangerous bodily harm. Three other officers were charged with dangerous bodily harm, dpa reported.
Public broadcaster WDR quoted Dortmund prosecutors saying they believe the operation was "disproportionate from the start."
The incident sparked a debate in Germany about police violence against minorities and their handling of cases involving people with mental illness.