A policeman has died and another has been injured after being stabbed tonight in Brussels by an individual who was arrested by another patrol, according to the Prosecutor's Office investigating the circumstances of this attack. According to the local press, the attacker shouted "Aláhu Akbar" at the time of the attack, but the Prosecutor's Office refused to comment on the matter.
The events occurred around 7:15 p.m. near the North Station in Schaerbeek - one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region - where the two police officers of a patrol were attacked by a man armed with a knife. The agent of another patrol, who came to the aid when asking for the first reinforcements, managed to "neutralize the attacker" using his pistol, according to the newspaper Le Soir.
The attacker and the two wounded officers were taken to a hospital but one of them, who had been hit in the neck, died due to the severity of his injuries.
Two emergency health teams and three ambulances from the Brussels fire department attended the scene.
"Our police officers risk their lives every day to ensure the safety of our citizens. Today's drama demonstrates this once again," Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said on his official Twitter account.
De Croo sent his condolences to the family and friends of the deceased officer and expressed his "sincere hope" that his hospitalized colleague is well.
"What a terrible drama. This event breaks my heart. My thoughts are first and foremost with loved ones, members of the police and the entire police force," said Belgian Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden, also in Twitter.
The minister, who said she was following "the situation closely", "in close contact with the mayor, the commander of the body and the police services", stressed that "this violence is unacceptable".
The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, was also "shocked by the murder of a Brussels police officer in the line of duty tonight."
"The Belgian police have worked so closely with the European Parliament over the years that this feels personal to us," added the Maltese politician, who conveyed her sorrow to the officers, her loved ones and all of Belgium.
The Belgian media affirm that the suspect appeared today at noon at a police station in the municipality of Evere, adjacent to that of Schaerbeek, where he apparently explained his intention to commit an attack against the police.
With his consent and under judicial supervision, the man was transferred to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation and was apparently released later, according to the Belgian press.
