The explosion recorded Monday night in an Espoo apartment may have been a death trap for officers posted to the area. The National Bureau of Investigation (Keskusrikospoliisi, in Finnish) has just released a statement saying they are investigating the case as two attempted murders.
Two police officers from the West-Uusimaa police department were injured and large numbers of residents of a three-storey apartment building in Mäkkylä (Espoo) had to be evacuated from their homes following an explosion occurred on Monday at about 20:45.
The explosive was detonated after the police arrived at the house in Ruutikellarintie, when the door of the apartment was opened, a fact that would reinforce the hypothesis of the trap. A few hours later, the police reported the discovery of a dead person inside the apartment.
According to a statement released on Monday shortly before 23:00, the agents had received in the evening a mission assignment at the scene. Both police officers on duty were injured due to the blast and had to be hospitalized, although their lives were not in danger and they were able to leave hospital soon after.
After the explosion, the security forces carried out a large operation that lasted several hours. It required a wide deployment of heavily equipped agents and vehicles in the area, which was cordoned off to prevent public access. Confusion took over the scene in Mäkkylä district and the residents of the building had to be evacuated and relocated by the authorities in a hotel.
Dead man inside
Shortly before 3:00 a.m., police released a new statement reporting that, after accessing the interior of the home where the explosion occurred, officers found a person's lifeless body. Inspector Olli Töyräs of the National Bureau of Investigation confirmed that the deceased is a man born in 1979, suspected of attempted murder against police officers.
The actual police operation on the spot ended on Tuesday morning. Residents of this relatively quiet area of Espoo have been given permission to return to their homes. However, pre-trial searches and technical investigations are still being conducted at the scene.
According to Inspector Töyräs, the work of police experts is now focused on discovering for example what kind of explosives were used to cause the blast.
According to Töyräs, the material was placed by the door with the intention to cause damage, but it is still too early to know the motive. Still, the National Bureau of Investigation says there is no evidence that the events are linked to terrorist organizations or organized crime gangs.
The investigation of the case hast been transferred to the National Bureau of Investigation because police officers were injured during the mission. It is being carried out in collaboration with the West Uusimaa Police Department.
