"Submachine gun against Merkel?" – Why this police officer lost her job for good

Almost 30 years of service—and then the abrupt end

Maria P. wore a uniform for almost three decades. She was a senior inspector, 58 years old, assigned to the mounted police unit, and, according to her own statement, one of the first women ever to join the police force. But her professional life came to an abrupt and permanent end. As reported by the Münchner Merkur newspaper, the Munich Administrative Court ruled that this woman could not remain a police officer.

The reason is not a minor misstep, a careless remark, or a slip of the tongue. The judges came to the clear conclusion that Maria P. had adopted the ideology of the so-called Reich Citizens and even spread it while on duty. And that, they said, was incompatible with the police profession.

Reich Citizens' content in everyday police work

What was presented to the court is difficult to digest. Maria P. sent materials from the Reich Citizens' Movement from her private email account to her work address. She apparently read this content during working hours, saved it, and forwarded it. She is said to have printed and copied anti-constitutional documents at her workplace. Photos showed boxes full of flyers.

In addition, there were chat messages and videos with extreme content. One video claimed that Adolf Hitler "only wanted peace." Other chats involved conspiracy theories surrounding the coronavirus vaccine—allegedly a deliberate means of killing people and reducing the population.

Particularly alarming: Maria P. is reported to have said to a colleague, "Give me a submachine gun—and I'll go and shoot her." She was referring to the then German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

"I just wanted to find out more" – a flimsy excuse

The former police officer tried to explain herself in court. She said she had only wanted to find out more. She said she supported the constitution, had made mistakes, but had learned from them. She said the difficult coronavirus period had thrown her off track and that the pandemic had "made her ill."

However, the court and the Free State of Bavaria were unimpressed. It was not only the material itself that was decisive, but the overall picture: no clear departure, no clear distancing, no clear commitment to the constitution – even years later.

In addition, Maria P. repeatedly refused to provide information during the trial. She also refused to say anything about other colleagues who may have shared similar views. The only thing that became known was that there is at least one other disciplinary proceeding.

No second chance—and no sympathy from the court

"I love my job and ask for a second chance," Maria P. said at the end. But the verdict was clear: removal from civil service. No ifs, ands, or buts.

For the court, it was clear: anyone who is supposed to protect the state as a police officer must not simultaneously reject or question it internally. Trust is not an option here, but a duty.

And now let's be clear

This is not a "victim of COVID-19," not a tragic mistake, not a misunderstanding. Anyone who spreads Reich Citizens' ideology, expresses violent fantasies, and shares extremist content as a police officer simply has no place in this profession. Period.

What is alarming is not only the case itself, but its duration: how long such attitudes apparently remain unnoticed—and how late action is taken. Those who wield power, weapons, and authority must be particularly clear-headed. The rule of law depends on its guardians standing firm on its ground. If that is no longer the case, a harsh judgment is not a scandal—it is necessary.

Source: merkur.de