Man makes fatal jump from balcony after police ID wrong suspect

A man leaped to his death from a fourth-floor balcony in Berlin in an attempt to evade arrest - only for it to emerge later that police were in pursuit of the wrong man. File picture: Sven Friebe/dpa via AP

A man leaped to his death from a fourth-floor balcony in Berlin in an attempt to evade arrest - only for it to emerge later that police were in pursuit of the wrong man. File picture: Sven Friebe/dpa via AP

Published Jul 21, 2017

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Berlin - A 44-year-old man leaped to his death from a

fourth-floor balcony in Berlin in an attempt to evade arrest - only

for it to emerge later that police were in pursuit of the wrong man.

A clerical error made by an official who was checking the arrest

warrant on the computer meant that it was issued incorrectly.

The 44-year-old had just been released from prison when police told

him on Wednesday that an arrest warrant had been issued against him

for an unpaid fine of 1 500 euros (1 748 dollars).

Unable to pay the fine, the man feared another lengthy stint in jail,

police said. After telling police that he was going onto the balcony

to retrieve some clothes that had been drying, he then threw himself

over the side.

He sustained severe injuries and was taken to hospital, where he died

despite an emergency operation.

The official responsible for the error and officers who had been at

the scene of the tragedy were being looked after, police said, adding

that the incident would be subject to intensive internal

investigation.

dpa

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