Footage of a failed attempt to stop a driver outside a Biedronka in Bolków has gone viral, sparking heated debate about the effectiveness and safety of police interventions. What really happened in the car park, and why did the operation end so dramatically?
Video from the scene
Nie wiem z kiedy to jest, ale akcja przednia. Gazują chłopa ile wlezie. Drugi puka w okno jak w Zusie. Nie idzie. Sufler podpowiada co robić, więc wyciągają broń. Nie idzie. Strzelają w oponę, rykoszetem dostaje trzeci… Nie idzie. Ktoś wie czy kierowca został zatrzymany? pic.twitter.com/6YmgGt3wXI
The report and the start of the operation: how did the intervention begin?
It all started with a report from the owner of a stolen Lexus, who used a GPS tracker to locate the car in the car park of the Biedronka supermarket in Bolków. A police patrol arrived at the scene immediately. The officers hoped for a quick and calm arrest of the perpetrator. They had numerical superiority, were armed, and caught the suspect in the act.
Attempted arrest and escalation
The police blocked the car with a patrol car and gave orders to stop, but the driver did not intend to surrender. Instead, he tried to escape by squeezing between the patrol car and the store wall. The officers smashed windows and used pepper spray and batons, but the man remained unmoved. Even with a cigarette in his mouth and his hands clenched on the steering wheel, he ignored the warnings.
Another video from a different angle
Na parkingu przy markecie w Bolkowie (woj. dolnośląskie) policjanci interweniowali w sprawie kradzionego auta. Gdy kierowca próbował uciekać, funkcjonariusze użyli broni. Jeden z nich został ranny w łydkę.
— 🌐 ᴛʜᴇᴘᴏʟᴀɴᴅɴᴇᴡs 🌐 (@thepolandnews_) June 6, 2025
Dramatic escalation: shots were fired
Eventually the officers decided to use their firearms, aiming at the tyres to immobilise the vehicle. Unfortunately, one of the bullets ricocheted and wounded an officer in the leg. The recording captures the screams of witnesses and calls for an ambulance. The injured officer was taken to hospital, and his life is not in danger.
Official statement from the Lower Silesian Police
On 5 June 2025, officers from Jawor were intervening in Bolków against an aggressive man suspected of the crime of misappropriating a car. As a result of the actions taken by the officers, during which they used direct coercive measures and firearms, two people were detained, including the exceptionally aggressive driver of the misappropriated vehicle. An investigative and detective group and a prosecutor also carried out intensive activities at the scene. To clarify the exact course of the intervention and all its circumstances, the control units of the Jawor District Police Headquarters, as well as the Lower Silesian Provincial Police Headquarters in Wrocław, have also taken up the case. The Commander of the Jawor District Police Headquarters has also immediately initiated explanatory proceedings regarding the intervention. Furthermore, the control units of the Lower Silesian Provincial Police Headquarters in Wrocław are verifying the course of the intervention, including the application of Police procedures in force and the manner and justification for using direct coercive measures and firearms. Once the control activities are complete, we will be able to provide more information. It should also be noted that the investigation into the, for now, misappropriation of the vehicle is being conducted by the District Prosecutor’s Office in Kamienna Góra.
5 czerwca 2025 roku jaworscy policjanci podejmowali w Bolkowie interwencję wobec agresywnego mężczyzny podejrzanego o przestępstwo polegające na przywłaszczeniu samochodu. W efekcie podjętych przez funkcjonariuszy czynności, podczas których użyli oni środków przymusu… pic.twitter.com/7PJhYaM2un
The operation outside the Biedronka did not end with the driver being arrested on the spot. After the failed attempt to detain him, the man managed to break free of the police blockade and continued fleeing in the stolen car. The chase moved beyond the supermarket grounds and ended only near Bolków, where the Lexus landed in a nearby river. Only then were the officers able to arrest the driver, as he got out of the vehicle. The whole incident further highlighted the drama of this intervention and showed how unpredictable police operations can be.
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Why did the police operation cause so much controversy?
The video of the intervention triggered a flood of comments online. Internet users are asking whether the police were adequately prepared for such a dynamic and dangerous situation. Points raised include:
The lack of effectiveness of the direct coercive measures used
The risky firing of shots in the presence of many bystanders
The injured officer, an accidental victim of gunfire
Chaos and a lack of coordination of actions
Investigators are now examining whether all the measures used were adequate to the situation and whether the escalation and the shooting of the officer could have been avoided.
What next? Conclusions and questions for the future
Two people have been detained: the driver and a female passenger. A prosecutor and an investigative and detective group are working at the scene. The case shows how difficult police interventions can be in real-world conditions, and how easily they can spiral out of control, even when everything seems to be under control.
Tomasz Kamiński, redaktor serwisu DigitalNexus.pl. Zajmuje się tematyką show-biznesową i rozrywką. Ukończył dziennikarstwo i medioznawstwo na Uniwersytecie Warszawskim. W wolnym czasie gra w gry, jest fanatykiem Call of Duty. W temacie gier pisze od 2008 roku.
