German police hunt for ‘Rambo’ armed with bow and arrow in Black Forest

Special forces, helicopters and sniffer dogs deployed to track down the homeless man who disarmed four officers at gunpoint

According to a report, the 31-year-old spent time in prison for shooting his girlfriend with a bow and arrow

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A German police helicopter combs the forest in Oppenau. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 11:51pm, 13 Jul 2020Updated: 1:37am, 14 Jul 2020

In scenes reminiscent of the film Rambo, police in Germany’s Black Forest are hunting for a homeless man wearing combat gear and armed with a bow and arrow, among other weapons.

About 100 officers were combing the forest with the help of special forces, helicopters and sniffer dogs as the search entered its second day on Monday.

Police in Oppenau, in south-western Germany, warned local residents to stay at home and not pick up any hitchhikers. They released a photo of the 31-year-old suspect, who has a bow and arrow, a knife and at least one gun and is known to the police for previous offences, including illegal possession of firearms.

The authorities did not name the suspect, but the Bild tabloid identified him as Yves Rausch, also publishing a photo of him dressed in military fatigues.

Police said they were informed on Sunday morning that a suspicious man was hanging around a hut in the forest.

Police officers at a wooded area on a road near Oppenau, Germany. Photo: dpa