Brussels police officer shot dead while intercepting stolen car in Belgium

A Brussels police officer has died after being shot during an overnight operation to intercept a vehicle stolen in a carjacking, authorities said on Tuesday.

The officer, from the Brussels-Capital/Ixelles police zone’s Anti-Aggression Brigade, was wounded in the Jette district and later died in hospital. Early reports said police pursued the stolen vehicle, which stopped in Jette, before a suspect opened fire. Three weapons were reportedly found in the car, and a suspect was arrested.

Brussels prosecutors confirmed the death and said an investigation was underway to establish the exact circumstances. Belgian officials expressed condolences to the officer’s family and colleagues, with Interior Minister Bernard Quintin saying those responsible would face the full force of the law.

The killing came as police separately investigated a fatal shooting in Ixelles, near the European Parliament. Prosecutors said there was no confirmed connection between the two cases.