Overview
- Police launched the operation on Thursday after witnesses said they had seen a person with a weapon or a weapon‑like object near the Columbiadamm volleyball field by a refugee accommodation.
- More than 100 officers, including a tactical unit and a police helicopter, were deployed to systematically search the sprawling former airport while some access points were temporarily closed and visitors were allowed to leave.
- Authorities said officers initially found no concrete danger and later ended the main search after roughly two hours, though some follow-up measures continue.
- Investigators searched a residential container at the refugee site with a court order and reported finding a toy pistol nearby, and the criminal police are probing the incident's background.
- The operation comes as Berlin has recorded more shootings in recent months, prompting new police and prosecutor task forces named Ferrum and Telum and raising debate about visible, large-scale searches that disrupt public use of parks.