German police on Monday say they have found no indication yet that a knife-wielding Turkish man shot dead after trying to attack officers had a terrorist motive, adding that he had psychological problems.
The 37-year-old struck a parked patrol car with a bat in the city of Gelsenkirchen on Sunday and threatened two officers standing by the vehicle with a knife, local police say in a statement.
One of the officers fired his gun four times, killing the assailant. Investigators are still looking into reports that the man shouted “Allahu Akbar” (God is greater) during the assault.
While police so far cannot definitively rule out an extremist link, a search of the man’s home has “not confirmed initial suspicions of a terrorist motive.”
Investigators also have evidence that the attacker suffered from “a psychological illness” and was known to police for previous acts of violence including against law enforcement officials.
The inquiry is ongoing, the statement adds.
— AFP
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