Berlin station stabbing: Suspect dies from accidents

A man suspected of stabbing another man to death at a Berlin underground station has died after being shot by police, the public prosecutors’ office said on Sunday.

There is no evidence to suggest the attack had an Islamist terrorist motive, a joint statement from the police and the prosecutor’s office added.

Police said an altercation on Saturday between the men escalated when the alleged perpetrator, a 43-year-old Syrian man, pulled out a kitchen knife and allegedly stabbed his victim three times, a 29-year-old German man.

The injured man reportedly managed to leave the Sophie-Charlotte-Platz station in western Berlin on his own but collapsed on the platform. He died at the scene. 

The suspected attacker tried to flee the scene but was shot by police officials following an altercation.

He was resuscitated at the scene and taken to a hospital where he underwent emergency surgery. Authorities said he succumbed to his injuries.

A spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office said the man was pronounced dead at  6:30 a.m. (0430 GMT).

Both the victim and the alleged attacker were known to the police and the justice system.

They had both been previously convicted of other crimes including assaulting law enforcement officers and violating the Narcotics Act, according to Berlin police.

No information was immediately available regarding the residency status of the Syrian man.

Note: This piece was updated to reflect the circumstances under which the suspected attacker was shot by police officials as well as the circumstances at the scene of attack.

Edited by: Roshni Majumdar, Jenipher Camino Gonzalez, Wesley Dockery