Kosovo border police officers opened fire at a van with Serbian licence plates after the driver refused to stop, a Kosovo police spokesman told the media, reports regional broadcaster N1, quoting Beta news agency.

The police officers fired at the tires of a van with Kragujevac plates in the Leposavic municipality during what was supposed to be a routine check. “The red van with Kragujevac licence plates sped away from the police checkpoint were officers were conducting routine control,” police spokesman Bratislav Radovic said.

He said a search was underway for the van driver who has been identified, he added.

Lawyer: Illegal Use of Firearms (KoSSev)

However, lawyer Nebojsa Vlajic in a statement for KoSSev portal, claims that the use of weapons by the Kosovo Police was illegal.

"Kosovo Police Law Article 27 foresees when a police officer may use firearms. The use of firearms against a vehicle that refuses to stop is absolutely illegal," says Vlajic.

"A policeman cannot know who he threatens with his shooting, maybe there are children in the van, for example, 40 smuggled asylum seekers are in the van - wherever they shoot they may kill someone. Secondly, the police officer does not know whether the crime has been committed, perhaps the driver is simply drunk or mentally unstable, etc." explained Vlajic.

He emphasized that the use of firearms is only legitimate if a policeman must protect his life or the life of others or to prevent a crime that causes a great danger to the lives of others.

"Such a shooting, even in the air, is absolutely illegal and the police must be alerted to such a violation of the law, and the policeman who has done this has to be punished," he concluded.