Sad certainty!

Police officer dies after Mannheim knife attack

The moment of the gruesome attack

(Bild: Quelle: YouTube/Augen auf!; krone.at)

Since Friday afternoon, doctors have been fighting for the life of the police officer who was stabbed several times in the head in the brutal knife attack in Mannheim. Now there is sad certainty: his life could no longer be saved, several official bodies announced on Sunday evening.

The video of the attack shocked the whole of Germany over the past few days and hours. It showed how the Mannheim knifeman stabbed the now deceased police officer several times in the head from behind. What is particularly tragic is that the officer was busy restraining the wrong man on the ground in the chaos that broke out.

According to the German authorities, the police officer underwent "emergency surgery immediately after the attack and was placed in an induced coma", but "succumbed to his serious injuries in the late afternoon hours of June 2". "We mourn the loss of a police officer who gave his life for our safety", the statement added.

Attacker not fit for questioning
Following the knife attack with seven injured on Mannheim's market square, the attacker is still not fit for questioning. The motive is still unclear, said a spokeswoman for the Baden-Württemberg State Office of Criminal Investigation on Sunday. However, there is talk in investigative circles of an Islamist motive, German media report.

In the attack during an event organized by the Islam-critical movement Pax Europa (BPE) on Friday, the Afghan-born man injured several people, including the deceased police officer. The attacker was himself shot by an officer.

After the knife attack, heated scenes took place on the city's market square on Sunday. A non-partisan alliance had called for a vigil against violence and hatred. At the same time, a Young Alternative rally was also held on the market square. The AfD youth organization's rally was held under the slogan "Remigration would have prevented this crime!".

Turbulent scenes at the vigil
Videos on the internet show demonstrators forming a long human chain in the city center - and the police clashing with a group of Antifa activists. They waved red flags and set off fireworks. The slogan "Nazis out" was chanted on the market square.

Clashes broke out at the vigil.

(Bild: picturedesk.com/Thomas Frey/dpa)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a crackdown on violence in view of the knife attack and an assault on CDU politician Roderich Kiesewetter. "Whether it is violence against democratic politicians on the left, in the center or on the right - it is always unacceptable and we will not tolerate it," Scholz emphasized. He was shocked by the news of the death. The young police officer's commitment "to the safety of us all" deserved the highest recognition.

"We will take action against anyone who uses violence to try and restrict democratic space," he announced. This applies regardless of whether the motive is left-wing extremist, right-wing extremist or Islamist. In the newspaper "Bild am Sonntag", Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) called the images of the knife attack a sad testimony to where extremism leads.