German police officer dies of wounds suffered in knife attack

German police officers remember their colleague in Mannheim (Michael Probst/AP)

A German police officer has died of injuries suffered during a knife attack that left five other people injured in the central square of Mannheim, officials said on Sunday.

The officer, 29, 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.

He was placed in an artificial coma but died on Sunday.

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”.

Es bestürzt mich zutiefst, dass der mutige Polizeibeamte nach dem furchtbaren Angriff in #Mannheim seinen schweren Verletzungen erlegen ist. 1/2

— Bundeskanzler a.D. Olaf Scholz (@KanzlerScholz) June 2, 2024

Two dozen of the officer’s colleagues paid tribute to him, removing their hats during a gathering on Sunday at the site of the attack.

The suspect was shot and wounded by another officer. He remains in hospital 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.

The attack took place during an event held by Pax Europa, which describes itself as an organisation that informs people about the dangers posed by the “increasing spread and influence of political Islam”.

Michael Sturzenberger, 59, an anti-Islamist activist who is one of the group’s leading figures and has spoken at its events, was among those wounded.

The other victims were four men aged 25, 36, 42 and 54. The 54-year-old man suffered injuries that were initially life-threatening, but he is now out of danger.