Was the attack in Krakow planned? "He acted with premeditation"

Was the attack in Krakow an impulsive action or did the perpetrator prepare for it for a long time? According to Assistant Commissioner Dariusz Loranty, there are many indications of the second scenario. A former police negotiator pointed out that premeditation can be considered when the crime is preceded by planning and preparation, and the action itself consists of several stages.

A premeditated crime is a crime that involves planning and, please note, preparation. It has multi-stage actions. And here it must be absolutely assumed that the perpetrator had such a plan, i.e. he came into possession of a weapon, (eliminated) obstacles, i.e. a family, and chose Krakow as a large city. This is undoubtedly a planned action, Loranty said on Radio RMF24.

Dariusz Loranty emphasized that the attacker's family had no previous problems with the law.

Father (Michał O.) was an electrician. He came from Waśniów, a town near Ostrowiec. He was a normal person. Neither he nor his family had any legal problems. My sister studied in Krakow, said the former negotiator.

He emphasized that "nobody knew Michał O., not even the priest from the parish knew him."

Former soldier among policemen

The conversation also touched upon the issue of the participation of an officer who was previously a soldier in the police intervention. Loranty drew attention to the behavior of the policeman who, despite being shot in the right arm, continued to take action against the attacker. In his opinion, both the officer's preparation and appropriate equipment were important.

Despite being shot in the right arm, the policeman continued shooting. He knew that the perpetrator was still a threat, so he fired more shots. Even if the bullet does not penetrate the bulletproof vest, the impact energy can cause serious injury. The body may become weak, have breathing problems, or even crack ribs. The policeman applied the dressing himself - he secured his injured right arm with his left hand. This also shows how important it is to properly equip officers, said the expert.

Did the attacker want to die during the police intervention?

The conversation also included a question about the perpetrator's motivation and his behavior during the confrontation with the police. Could continuing to shoot mean he didn't care about surviving?

Dariusz Loranty did not agree with the clear interpretation that the attacker wanted to cause his own death at the hands of the officers. He drew attention to the course of the intervention itself.

I have some doubts about his behavior. I rather assume that he intended to repeat similar actions many times. At one point he was injured in the leg and could no longer move. It was the result of police actions. Then he surrendered, raised his hands and threw away the weapon. So it didn't look like an attempt to bring about your own death. In the United States, the phenomenon of so-called suicide by police is known. This happens many times. In this case, however, we cannot clearly talk about such an intention, said the former negotiator.