Background to knife attack on federal police unclear

Near Nuremberg - Background to knife attack on federal police unclear

The motive for the knife attack on forces of the Federal Police in Lauf an der Pegnitz near Nuremberg are still unknown. "We are still at the beginning of the investigations," said Heike Klotzbecher from the Prosecutor's Office in Nuremberg. A female officer shot and fatally injured a 34-year-old Iranian man. She and her colleagues remained unharmed.

This latest knife attack on police forces illustrates the state of security in Germany, the Police Union (GdP) in Bavaria stated. The Federal Interior Minister and all responsible politicians must take more responsibility for domestic security. "It's time for action – not empty phrases," demanded the deputy GdP chairman in Bavaria, Uwe Steinbrecher.

Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) told Bayerischer Rundfunk that the danger must be taken seriously. "We must react concretely in each individual case," for example with the right penalties and deportation from Germany, so Herrmann. At the end of May, an Afghan man injured five people and a policeman at the market square in Mannheim with a knife, the policeman later died.

Did the attacker understand the police forces?

Exactly what happened on Sunday at the bus stop next to the S-Bahn station in Lauf an der Pegnitz is still unclear a day later. According to police reports, the 34-year-old man first approached a patrol car of the Federal Police. As the three officers got out, he allegedly attacked them.

According to dpa reports, the man had first rattled at the vehicle door - and did not have a knife visible at the time. Security sources said that the officers first used pepper spray, as he attacked them with a knife. It is still being investigated whether he understood the threat of using service weapons verbally.

Whether one or several shots were fired, Klotzbecher initially did not say. Media reports indicate that the officer first gave a warning shot into the air. When the suspected attacker did not react to this, she shot him. He was reportedly hit in the abdomen.

Three officers of the Federal Police are seen in handheld videos circulating on the internet, surrounding a man lying on the ground. One officer points her weapon at him. According to police reports, the three officers of the Federal Police immediately provided first aid, later a paramedic arrived. They could not save the man.

No danger for the population

Where the man lived, what his possible motives could have been, and whether he had previous disputes with the police, Klotzbecher did not answer the day after the use of firearms. "We cannot say anything about the incident yet," she said. Now, traces must be evaluated and witnesses must be questioned.

In the city of Lauf an der Pegnitz, which has a population of around 26,000, the Old Town Festival was celebrated on that day. Many visitors and visitors were therefore on the move at the time of the attack. However, according to the police, there was no danger to the population. Emergency services cordoned off the station widely. S-Bahns did not run for a longer period of time.

1. The knife attack occurred in Lauf an der Pegnitz, which is located in the state of Bavaria, Germany.
2. The Federal Interior Minister and other politicians are being urged to take more responsibility for domestic security following the knife attack.
3. Joachim Herrmann, the Interior Minister of Bavaria (CSU), stressed the seriousness of the situation and called for concrete actions.
4. The GDP in Bavaria stated that this latest knife attack highlights the current state of security in Germany.
5. The 34-year-old Iranian man, who was involved in the knife attack, was fatally injured by a female officer from the Federal Police.
6. The public prosecutor's office in Nuremberg is still investigating the motive behind the knife attack on the Federal Police forces.
7. The attack happened at a bus stop next to the S-Bahn station in Lauf an der Pegnitz, and it is unclear if the attacker understood the police threats.
8. The Old Town Festival was being celebrated in Lauf an der Pegnitz on the day of the knife attack, but the police assured there was no danger to the population.

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