Mannheim: Knife attack: Police officer dies after stab wound to the head at political rally – World News

A police officer who was stabbed in the head during an anti-Islam rally in Germany has died, authorities said.

The 29-year-old police officer was attacked in Mannheim on Friday at around 11:30 a.m. local time. According to reports, he was stabbed several times in the head. The police officer underwent emergency surgery after the attack and was placed in an artificial coma on Friday.

However, he did not survive the fatal injuries and was pronounced dead on Sunday. A joint statement from the police and public prosecutor’s office said: “The 29-year-old police officer, who was seriously injured in a knife attack on Mannheim’s market square on May 31, 2024, died on June 2 as a result of his injuries.”

“During a rally on the market square, a 25-year-old man attacked several people with a knife, critically injuring six of them. He stabbed the police officer several times in the head area. He underwent emergency surgery immediately after the attack and was placed in an artificial 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.”

Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his deep sadness at the officer’s tragic death on X. He wrote: “His commitment to the safety of all of us deserves the highest recognition. In these bitter hours, my thoughts are with his family and all those who mourn him.”

Footage streamed live on YouTube showed anti-Islam activists from Pax Europa preparing for a small rally when a knife attacker ran up to a man and began stabbing him. Passers-by rushed to help the victim, who was attacked by the attacker and thrown to the ground. Moments later, the attacker thrust his bloody knife towards the victim’s head.

Bystanders then wrestled with the stabber on the ground, attempting to pull him away from the first victim, who was still on the ground. Footage showed the victim sustained at least one knife wound to the back of his left leg and blood was splattered on the cobblestones.

The knife attacker, 25-year-old Sulaiman Ataee managed to free himself and attacked one of the men who had been wrestling with him shortly before. He then stabbed a police officer in the back. At that moment, approaching police officers fired their weapons and the attacker fell to the ground. The attacker was shot, Bild reported.

A neighbour of the attacker told Mail Online that Ataee had become “radicalised” in recent months, adding: “He used to be normal. Recently, about a year ago, I noticed he had changed. He used to be helpful, then suddenly he became cold. He suddenly became more reserved – and also more aggressive.”