German officials probe hate speech over police killing

German authorities say they have found nearly 400 cases of online hate speech related to last week’s killing of two police officers, a shooting apparently meant to cover up the fact the suspects had been poaching wild animals

BERLIN -- German investigators have found nearly 400 cases of online hate speech related to last week's killing of two police officers, a shooting apparently meant to cover up the fact the suspects had been poaching wild animals, authorities said Monday.

The 399 posts included 102 that were “criminally relevant,” and in 15 cases people responsible for them already have been tracked down, officials in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate said.

Last Monday's early-morning shooting on a rural road in western Germany shocked the country. Two men apparently opened fire with hunting weapons after being caught with poached animals in their van, investigators have said. They were arrested hours after the attack.

“We will not accept people downright celebrating the cold-blooded killing of our two police colleagues and mocking the victims,” said the regional government's interior minister, Roger Lewentz.