BERLIN

German police shot and seriously wounded a 12-year-old deaf girl after she approached officers with two knives during a welfare check at her mother's apartment, authorities said on Monday.

The girl, who holds both German and Serbian citizenship, had left a group care facility where she was placed under state custody, Essen police said in a statement. Officers went to retrieve her because she required vital medications that she may not have taken for an extended period.

The girl's mother, who also has a hearing impairment, initially did not open the door despite the police knocking. Officers called a locksmith to gain entry. Before the locksmith arrived, the mother opened the door around 1.30 am, police said.

During a search of the apartment, officers encountered the 12-year-old holding two knives and walking toward them. Police deployed both a taser and firearms simultaneously to ward off what they described as a potential attack, according to the police statement.

The girl was seriously wounded and transported to a hospital, where she underwent emergency surgery. Her condition was described as critical, but at this moment, her condition is no longer deteriorating, authorities said.

The incident has sparked debate on social media about police violence, the use of force against minors, and protocols for dealing with vulnerable populations. Critics have questioned why officers were not sufficiently informed about the situation and why specialized crisis intervention teams were not deployed instead of regular patrol officers.