Ashdod man stabs neighbor, then assaults police, is shot

A man was seriously injured in the early hours of Sunday morning when he was stabbed by his neighbor in the coastal city of Ashdod.

The suspect then called police to report the incident and stabbed one of the officers who responded to the call. The police shot the suspect, seriously injuring him.

According to an initial investigation, the suspect knocked on his neighbor’s door and when there was no response, entered the apartment via the balcony, Channel 13 news reported. He then stabbed the victim.

According to a police statement, when officers arrived at the scene they saw blood stains on the fourth floor of the building and followed the trail to an apartment on the floor below, where they found the suspect hiding behind a refrigerator with a knife in his hand.

The suspect reportedly then stabbed one of the responding officers, lightly injuring him, before another officer opened fire. The suspect was said to be in a serious condition after the shooting.

All of the injured were taken to a hospital for treatment. The Ynet news site reported that police suspect the attacker suffered a psychotic episode prior to the stabbing.

The stabber and his wife reportedly only moved into the building, on the city’s HaRav Kook Street, two weeks ago, and the victim and suspect were said to have not met before.

Police have opened an investigation into both the stabbings and the subsequent shooting of the suspect.