Frankfurt: A 29-year-old German police officer has died of injuries suffered during a knife attack that left five other people injured on the central square of Mannheim, officials said.
The officer was stabbed several times in the head and neck by a 25-year-old immigrant from Afghanistan and underwent emergency surgery after the attack on Friday, officials said. The officer was placed in an artificial coma but succumbed to his injuries on Monday (AEST).
Candles, flowers and a piece of paper with the inscription “Against Terror” stand at the scene of the crime on the market square in Mannheim, Germany.Credit: AP
Chancellor Olaf Scholz posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he was “deeply grieved” and that the officer’s “commitment to the safety of us all deserves the highest recognition.”
Two dozen of the officer’s colleagues paid tribute to their fallen comrade, removing their hats during a gathering at the site of the attack.
The suspect was shot and wounded by another officer; he remained hospitalised and a judge has ordered him held on suspicion of attempted murder. Police and prosecutors have not provided a motive for the attack, saying the suspect was not in a condition to be questioned.
German police officers commemorate a colleague in Mannheim Germany, after learning that a police officer, who was stabbed two days ago there has died on Sunday.Credit: AP
A statement from police and prosecutors said that the suspect had lived in Germany since 2014, was married and has two children. His apartment in the town of Heppenheim was searched on Friday night and police recovered digital devices whose contents were being evaluated.
Officials said that the suspect had no prior police record.
They haven’t disclosed the suspect’s immigration status or how he came to Germany.