A 61-year-old, who is said to have intentionally hit a police officer in Efringen-Kirchen (Lörrach district) in southern Baden and seriously injured himself, is being investigated for attempted murder.

This was announced by the police and the public prosecutor's office on Wednesday.

They assign the man to the Reich citizen scene.

Whether his alleged attitude had an influence on the crime is the subject of the investigation.

Traffic cops wanted to check the drunk 61-year-old because of his conspicuous driving on Monday evening.

Instead of stopping, he drove away.

He was only stopped with the help of other patrol cars.

When an officer then approached him to check, the man is said to have driven off and hit the 39-year-old head-on.

The police officers fired several shots, which injured the man's arm.

The driver was later stopped and arrested.

Officials suspect he wanted to cover up his drunk driving.

He is said to have been noticed earlier for insult and robbery theft.

The police headquarters in Freiburg and the State Criminal Police Office of Baden-Württemberg are investigating.

Interior Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU) said: "We will never tolerate violence against police officers." An attack on those who protect our lives every day is an attack on all of us.

"If such an attack occurs for political reasons, it is an attack on our free democratic basic order and the values ​​that unite us."

Strobl expressed concern about incidents involving Reich citizens.

"There is still an increased willingness to use violence on the part of these people and this must also be taken into account in the future." Currently, Reichsbürger are part of the disastrous alliance with self-governments, conspiracy ideologues and right-wing extremists who come together at demonstrations against measures to protect against the corona virus.

Last week, a 24-year-old police officer and a 29-year-old chief inspector were shot dead during a traffic check near Kusel in Rhineland-Palatinate.

The investigators suspect that the alleged perpetrators wanted to cover up poaching.