Chancellor Olaf Solz said he was shocked by the death of police officer Reuven L., who was attacked with a knife by Suleiman A. in a central Mannheim square on Friday.
“I am deeply shocked and appalled that the brave police officer succumbed to serious injuries following the horrific attack in Mannheim. Your dedication to the safety of us all deserves the highest recognition. In these bitter hours, my thoughts are with his family and all who are mourning,” Mr. Soltz wrote in X.
The death of 29-year-old Reuven L. caused sadness and anger among police. The head of the Baden-Württemberg Police Union, Ralf Kusterer, emphasized that the violence police officers face every day is “relentlessly brutal, inhumane and often fatal.” “Campaigns against hate and incitement to violence often do not even address the problems that police officers face on a daily basis. “Discussions about democracy and freedom of expression do not reach irresponsible actors, but they also do not reach religious fanatics, for whom the world of our own ideas seems completely strange and absurd,” said Kusterer.
Sulaiman A. managed to hit the police officer who tried to immobilize him several times, injuring him in the back and neck. The attacker had already injured politician and well-known critic of Islam Michael Sturchenberger in the face, during an event of the “Pax Europa” Movement in Mannheim’s central square. The politician underwent surgery and is recovering normally. The young Afghan, who has lived in Germany since 2014 and until now was not known to the authorities, was only detained when one of the remaining police officers shot him and injured him in the leg. He is also hospitalized, while an arrest warrant has already been issued for him for the attacks.
Source: AMPE