One of Denmark’s most dangerous criminals, who not only spent the longest time in a Danish prison but was also responsible for arming Danish police officers, was Palle Mogens Fogde Sørensen. He was born in Denmark on March 26, 1927.
He began committing petty crimes at a young age, which eventually led to more serious offenses. After his release from juvenile detention in 1949, Sørensen broke into the headquarters of the Danish Trade Union Confederation. Using explosives stolen from a quarry, he opened a safe and stole 130,000 kroner. Since Sørensen spent the money freely, further robberies followed. It can be said that Sørensen’s life was marked by further burglaries and insurance fraud, which ultimately led to a five-year prison sentence. After his release, Sørensen found employment with the army, where he was responsible for the production of antennas. But the quiet life did not last long. In 1964, he met his former cellmate Norman Lee Bune, and soon Sørensen’s criminal past was back. On September 17, 1965, Sørensen and his accomplice were caught in a house they had broken into. The homeowner alerted the police, and the two men fled. During the wild chase, Sørensen and Bune were stopped several times by the officers. But instead of surrendering, Sørensen repeatedly reached for his Browning P-35 pistol. In the chaotic night, Sørensen shot a total of four police officers, all of whom did not survive their injuries. The shots were fired in a tense situation in which Sørensen apparently could not comprehend what he was doing. In a later radio documentary, he explained that he knew he couldn’t outrun the police officers and decided to get out of the car and shoot them. This cold-blooded act led to one of the bloodiest incidents in Danish criminal history. After 48 hours on the run, Sørensen finally turned himself in to the police and said that he had made “the mistake of his life.” On August 24, 1966, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. Despite his incarcerated life, Sørensen was considered Denmark’s most dangerous criminal for many years. His imprisonment attracted a great deal of public attention and led to the police in Denmark being armed as standard from then on. Sørensen spent a total of 32 years and eight months in prison. This was a record in the Danish criminal justice system at the time. The police unions insisted that he should not be granted parole or a pardon. However, despite his dangerous reputation, Sørensen proved to be peaceful in prison. In 1998, he was finally granted early release on parole. After his release, Sørensen lived in Valby, a district of Copenhagen. He saw this new phase of his life as an opportunity to live away from criminal activities, but his fascinating obsession with safes remained. Even though he was physically free, his mind was still trapped in the shadows of his past. Sørensen died on February 1, 2018, at the age of 90. His once brutal deeds left lasting scars not only on society, but also on the families of the murdered police officers, who were all young, married, and had children. Their funerals were honored with full state ceremonies. A gesture of respect for the victims and of grief over the loss of human life through violence. Sørensen’s crimes have had a lasting impact on the Danish police. His case is often used as a catalyst for discussion about the arming of police officers in Denmark. Sørensen’s story remains a dark chapter in Danish criminal history, teaching us how far people are willing to go and the impact violence has on the lives of many. Palle Mogens Fogde Sørensen was not only a criminal, but also a product of his environment and his choices. His life story shows the dark side of human behavior and the unpredictable consequences of violence and crime.