# Two Berlin Police Officers Injured in Explosion at Wittenau Station Perimeter
*Event date: January 2, 2025*
By IO Digest Desk
An explosion at the perimeter of a police facility in Berlin-Wittenau injured two officers on the evening of January 2, leaving one with severe facial and eye injuries and prompting a specialist explosives investigation, according to reporting cited from Berlin police statements.
The incident happened at about 8:20 p.m. at the grounds of Police Section 12 on Am Nordgraben, where the two officers were carrying out what police described as a routine security patrol. Authorities said the blast occurred at the fencing around the site. A 31-year-old senior police officer suffered serious injuries to his face and eye and underwent surgery overnight into the morning. A 29-year-old police constable suffered acoustic trauma and was treated before being released from hospital.
Early indications from investigators pointed away from a deliberate attack on the police site. Berlin police said they were not assuming a targeted assault and described outside interference with the grounds as almost impossible. Instead, investigators said the blast may have resulted from improper handling of pyrotechnics. Officials stressed, however, that the precise sequence of events remained under investigation.
The uncertainty around the object involved became central to the initial hours of the inquiry. The report said an unknown item exploded near the fence. It also cited information from security circles that a bag may have been found on the grounds and later exploded, though police did not publicly confirm that detail when asked. That left investigators with a narrow set of confirmed facts: a detonation occurred on police property, two officers were injured, and the source and handling of the explosive item required detailed forensic review.
Because the officers were not immediately fit to be interviewed, the first reconstruction of events depended heavily on physical evidence. Police said traces were being secured on site until after midnight and that extensive examinations were underway to determine exactly what happened. The state criminal police office assigned its explosives crimes unit to take over the investigation, reflecting the seriousness of the blast even as officials sought to rule out a broader attack scenario.
The timing also led authorities to consider whether the incident had any connection to New Year fireworks, a recurring source of injuries and public safety incidents in Germany. A police spokesperson said any possible link to New Year’s pyrotechnics was part of the inquiry. That point did not establish a cause, but it framed one plausible line of investigation at a time when cities often deal with injuries and property damage connected to fireworks misuse.
For Berlin police, the case combined two pressing concerns: officer safety at secured facilities and the challenge of rapidly establishing facts in the aftermath of an explosion. The serious injury to the male officer, including the risk to his eyesight noted in the report, ensured that the incident would be treated as more than a routine accident review. Yet the public message from police remained cautious, avoiding conclusions that went beyond what investigators had verified.
That restraint is notable because incidents at police properties can quickly trigger speculation about motive or coordination. In this case, authorities instead emphasized what they knew and what they did not know. They confirmed the location, the time, the injuries and the lack of evidence for a targeted external attack. Beyond that, the investigation was focused on identifying the object involved and determining how it came to detonate during a routine patrol at the edge of the police compound.
