Fifth suspect arrested in investigation into police assault during New Year’s Eve

Four young men were previously arrested on suspicion of involvement in two of the incidents. A fifth suspect was arrested on Friday evening, January 4. It concerns a 17-year-old boy from Nieuw-Beijerland.

Mobile unit
Surveillance officers were present in Nieuw-Beijerland on the night of Sunday, December 31 to Monday, January 1 around 1:15 am. Several fires were raging, for which the fire brigade was on site. The Mobile Unit was deployed to create a safe working environment for fire brigade personnel.
Officers were attacked by a group of young people in Wilhelminastraat. The fire brigade was present at the intersection of Middelstraat and Kerkstraat to extinguish a fire. Here too, both the fire brigade and the police were pelted with fireworks.
Emergency workers were also attacked and pelted with heavy fireworks at another location near Achterstraat. Two officers were injured: one officer suffered burns and a ringing in his ear. Another officer was left with burns and a uniform with burn marks as a result of the incident.
Two days earlier, on November 30, officers were also attacked when young people in Nieuw-Beijerland blew up a refrigerator with heavy fireworks.

Information remains welcome
The investigation into the events before and during New Year’s Eve is in full swing and information remains welcome. The research team would like to get in touch with people who have more information or images. Do you have camera footage, for example filmed with a mobile phone, dashcam or doorbell? Or do you have other information that may be relevant? Please contact us. You can also share information or images with us completely anonymously via the contact options below.