Police officers at the scene on Kinaporinkatu in Helsinki on 12 July 2025. Photo: Heikki Saukkomaa / Lehtikuva
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A man armed with a knife was fatally shot by police in Helsinki’s Alppiharju district on Saturday after less-lethal attempts to subdue him failed. The Prosecutor’s Office confirmed on Monday that the man was struck in the upper body by multiple rounds and died at the scene.
The incident occurred at around 9.43am on Kinaporinkatu, where police were called to respond to reports of a man behaving aggressively while carrying a knife in a residential stairwell. Upon arrival, the man fled to the roof of the building.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, officers first used a taser, a police dog, and a projectile launcher in an effort to stop the man. These measures did not prevent him from approaching officers with the knife. As the man continued moving toward them, police discharged their firearms.
The shots hit the man in the upper torso. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Prosecutors said the man had retreated from the rooftop to the attic level of the building, where the final confrontation took place. He ignored repeated police commands to stop and continued advancing with the weapon in hand.
The Eastern Uusimaa Police Department is handling the death investigation. A separate preliminary inquiry into the police use of force is being led by the Prosecutor’s Office, as required by Finnish law in cases involving police action.
The purpose of the inquiry is to determine whether there are grounds to launch a formal criminal investigation against any of the officers involved. Under the Finnish Criminal Investigation Act, such a preliminary assessment is mandatory when force used by law enforcement leads to death.
No further details about the identity of the man or the officers involved have been released. Authorities have not indicated the presence of any third parties during the incident.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
