Hamburg
Man with hammer: Lower Saxon goes to psychiatric hospital
The police do not believe that the crime is related to the European Football Championship. Photo
© Bodo Marks/dpa
Near the Reeperbahn, a 39-year-old man threatened with a hammer and was shot by police officers. A judge has now issued a detention order against the man.
The man who threatened with a hammer and a Molotov cocktail on Sunday in Hamburg-St. Pauli and was shot by police officers will be transferred to a psychiatric hospital. A judge issued a temporary detention order on Monday, said Hamburg’s senior public prosecutor Liddy Oechtering told the German Press Agency on Monday that it can be assumed that the 39-year-old man was of diminished responsibility or even completely incapable of responsibility at the time of the crime. The reason for this is probably a mental illness.
The accused did not comment on the charges or his motives during questioning, said Oechtering. Investigations are being conducted on suspicion of attempted manslaughter and a violation of the weapons law. Due to the importance of the case and the still unclear background, the Attorney General’s Office has taken over the case. It is being handled by the Central Office for State Security.
According to the police, the man from Buchholz in Lower Saxony came out of a snack bar on Silbersackstrasse on Sunday afternoon. With a slate hammer, usually used by roofers, and a Molotov cocktail in his hand, he approached passers-by and police officers in a threatening manner. He did not respond to police instructions, and even the use of pepper spray did not stop him. The officers finally fired. No police officers or innocent third parties were injured.