Slovenian police have released new details regarding the manhunt for 41-year-old Croatian national Srđan Aleksić, who was found dead in a house in Uršna Sela following a two-day manhunt.
The head of the Novo Police Station, Dejan Kink, stated at a press conference that Aleksić had attacked two police officers and seized their weapons and mobile phones, as reported by Index.hr, citing Slovenian Radio and Television.
According to Kink, the fugitive fired multiple times during the chase, including at members of the special unit. Police returned fire on two occasions, first in the woods and then at the house in Uršna Sela where Aleksi was holding a hostage. The suspect was found dead after the special unit entered the building, with the cause of death to be determined by a post-mortem examination.
The chase began on Friday evening. Aleksi had forced an individual to drive him to Kočevje, where he threatened a man in a van and stole the vehicle at a parking lot. That same evening, he robbed a petrol station, stealing approximately €600 in cash and tobacco products.
Police spotted him on the road between Črnomelj and Dolenjske Toplice, but he did not respond to stop signals. After a chase, he abandoned the van near Uršna Sela and fled into the woods.
The operation involved 158 police officers from various Slovenian police stations, special and special police units, dog handlers, drone operators, and a police helicopter. Kink described the operation as one of the most difficult in the history of independent Slovenia.
The 41-year-old Croatian national had a previous record of violent offences. According to data from Slovenian authorities obtained in cooperation with Croatian police, the last such incident occurred on 9 July in Pula, where he injured one person during an armed robbery.
"This was a well-trained individual in good physical condition, who had trained in martial arts and knew how to handle weapons," said Kink, dismissing claims that Aleksi had been a member of the police or military. The Croatian Ministry of the Interior had previously stated that Aleksi had never been a member of the special police.
The deputy chief of the Slovenian police, Donald Rus, stated that the primary concern was that the threat to the public had been neutralised. Interior Minister Franci Matti stated that all police officers had returned home unharmed and announced plans to strengthen the police force and improve equipment.
