Riots and fires erupted for a second night in Tingbjerg after police shot a young man; authorities link the unrest to anger in the neighborhood.

The Tingbjerg district of Copenhagen, Denmark, saw unrest for a second night in a row, two days after police shot at a car, injuring a 22-year-old man. Authorities believe the riots were fueled by anger among some young people in the area following the incident, while the Independent Police Complaints Authority is investigating the circumstances surrounding the use of force.

The neighborhood is known for its high percentage of immigrant residents, reaching 791,000 people, mostly from the Middle East and North Africa, according to BT.

Fires set for the second night in a row

For two consecutive nights, riots broke out, including fires, as garbage containers, a number of vehicles, and a building within the neighborhood were set ablaze.

These events came after police fired shots at a car on Saturday, injuring a 22-year-old man.

The report linked the two incidents chronologically, but clarified that the official investigation into the shooting is still ongoing, and no final results have yet been issued regarding the legality of the police's use of the weapon.

SSP official: Neighborhood youths are angry over the shooting

Riad Tolba, Secretary General of the Schools, Social Services and Police Cooperation Authority in Copenhagen (SSP København), explained that many young people in the area feel angry after the incident.

He told DR that many residents knew the young man who was injured, adding that this contributed to the rising tension within the neighborhood.

He added that videos documenting the shooting spread on social media, where there was a wide discussion in the comments about the police's use of their weapon.

The spokesperson also noted that there was frustration over the young man being shot by police, and that the debate over whether the use of force was justified or not was not something the SSP was involved in, as this matter was now in the hands of the Independent Police Complaints Authority (Den Uafhængige Politiklagemyndighed), which is the body responsible for investigating incidents of police use of weapons or violence.

Authorities focus on dialogue with young people

In response to a question about whether the young people felt that the police had overstepped their bounds, Riad Talba said it was difficult to say for sure, stressing that the role of the SSP was not to evaluate police actions, but rather to communicate with young people and listen to their opinions.

He added to the DR website that the organization allows young people to express their feelings and vent their anger, but at the same time it emphasizes to them that inciting unrest and setting fires is absolutely unacceptable.

Copenhagen police: Disturbances most likely linked to shooting incident

For its part, Copenhagen police explained that they could not comment on the details of the shooting incident because the Independent Police Complaints Authority was investigating it.

But Deputy Police Inspector Jacob Hansen said police had seen no signs of similar disturbances prior to the shooting.

He added that the current assessment indicates that the riots most likely broke out because some people are angry about what they believe the police did during the shooting of the young man.

A suspect has been arrested in connection with the fires.

The report noted that authorities had previously announced the arrest of a person in connection with a number of arson attacks in the Tengberg neighborhood, while police continue their investigations into all incidents related to the recent events, in parallel with the independent investigation into the shooting of the 22-year-old.