Crime

Renowned Dutch crime journalist critically injured in Amsterdam shooting

A prominent Dutch crime journalist has been seriously injured after being shot on a street in Amsterdam.

Published 5 years ago on Jul 7th 2021, 5:03 pm

By Web Desk

Police said Peter R de Vries was taken to hospital in a serious condition after being gunned down in the city centre on Tuesday evening.

National broadcaster NOS said he was attacked after appearing on a TV chat show.

Video showed him lying on the floor with an apparent wound to the head.

NOS cited eyewitnesses as saying five shots were fired and Mr de Vries was hit in the head.

Police are appealing for witnesses and CCTV footage of the shooting, but asking people not to share the material on social media. They are searching for a light-skinned man with a slender build, a dark green camouflage jacket and a black cap.

People have been asked not to approach him themselves and to call emergency services if they see him.

The Algemeen Dagblad newspaper said a suspect had been arrested south of Amsterdam but this has not been confirmed by police.

Caretaker Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was expected to make a statement after meeting with counter-terrorism officials and police in The Hague.

"Whatever the circumstances, this is unimaginable and terrible news," Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra said in parliament.

A frequent commentator on TV programmes, Mr de Vries, 64, is well known for his crime investigations in the Netherlands.

As a reporter, he has covered numerous high-profile cases, including the 1983 kidnapping of beer magnate Freddy Heineken.

In the past Mr de Vries has faced threats for his connection to criminal cases. NOS said he frequently acts as a spokesperson or confidant in police or court cases.

In 2013 Heineken's kidnapper, Willem Holleeder, was convicted of making threats against De Vries.

One of the Netherlands' most notorious gangsters, Holleeder was given a life sentence in 2019 for his involvement in five murders.

SOURCE: BBC NEWS