German motorcycle gang leader shot dead by police

German special forces shot and killed a former leader of a local Turkish-German motorcycle gang, a spokesperson for local authorities confirmed Thursday.

According to the prosecution office of Wuppertal in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hamit P. once led the gang named Osmanen Germania (German Ottomans in English), a 500-member group in which all members are Turkish Germans. The gangsters of the group are considered to have been involved in violence, money laundering and drug crimes.

Following the news of Hamit's death, police had initially refused to confirm that the deadly shots were fired by a special forces officer, while the state prosecutors later said that Hamit was killed when police tried to deliver an arrest warrant to his apartment, or a crime site of his gang.

Internal police reports describe the former gang leader as armed and dangerous, which is why special forces got involved in the arrest. Among many crimes, Hamit was also suspected of an attempted murder.

As a consequence of the incident, police in Essen, a populous city in the same state, will conduct an independent investigation into the suspect's death.

It still remains unclear why the confrontation escalated into a firefight. Hamit's widow, who was present at the time, told the local newspaper BILD that she was kicked in the back by police and her husband was shot when he "reacted" to the police. The state prosecution office was unwilling to comment on these claims.

Nevertheless, the motorcycle club has denied involvement in any criminal activity, saying that Hamit was expelled from the group due to his repeated violations of the law.