German cop thwarts possible breach of base

German and NATO authorities are searching for at least two men suspected of assaulting a local policeman who caught them lurking outside the Geilenkirchen Air Base fence.

Investigators later found the fence had been breached, according to U.S. and German authorities. The incident occurred at about 8:35 p.m. on Feb. 15.

The men “might have been trying to gain access to the base,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Rich Komurek, a base spokesman. “The fence had been cut.”

However, authorities aren’t sure if the fence was damaged before the incident.

That’s something investigators are looking into, according to Komurek and Karl-Heinz Frenken, a police spokesman for the Heinsberg District, which includes the town of Geilenkirchen.

Both Frenken and Komurek said Friday that at this stage of the investigation, there is no clear evidence of terrorist activity.

Protesters have tried to gain access to the base in the past, Komurek noted.

The 46-year-old German police officer spent one night in a local hospital for a head injury.

His service revolver, cell phone and some personal items were stolen.

“We don’t know exactly what the men were doing there,” Frenken said.

Nor do authorities know precisely how many perpetrators were involved.

They currently are operating under the assumption there were two or three.

Located near the Dutch border near the German city of Aachen, the NATO base at Geilenkirchen is home to the alliance’s AWACS fleet.

More than 3,100 military and civilian personnel are assigned to Geilenkirchen.

Known by locals as the “cycling policeman,” according to an area newspaper, the German officer was riding his bike when he saw at least two men near the perimeter fence.

Frenken said the actual spot is about a kilometer from the main gate.

The officer managed to call for backup before he was hit on the head and momentarily lost consciousness.

His assailants either tied or handcuffed him to a tree and fled the scene.

Police swept the area by land and air but were unable to find the perpetrators. The effort involved local authorities as well as NATO police and the city of Aachen.

Authorities are asking anyone with information to call the Heinsberg District at 02452-9200; or Geilenkirchen Air Base at 02451-630.