Young policeman stabbed to death with a 17cm knife in Budapest: new information
As we wrote yesterday, a 29-year-old Hungarian policeman was stabbed to death in Budapest’s 11th district. Two of his colleagues were also seriously injured. Now new information came about the unprecedented attack. For example, you may learn from the public prosecutor’s statement how the tragedy happened. They already ruled out terrorism.
According to Szeretlek Magyarország, the police were alarmed by a resident of a block of flats in Budapest’s 11th district saying that an angry man wants to break into the apartment of a disabled woman. Three officers went up to the apartment, two of them remained downstairs, the Hungarian news outlet wrote.
The officers were to handcuff the attacker when he turned against them. He tried to get out with kicks and hits. Finally, he took out his knife.
Currently, the Central Chief Prosecution Office of Investigation is examining the tragic events taking place in Budapest on Thursday night. According to a statement they shared on their website, the attack happened around 10 PM. A neighbour phoned the police to tell them that a man broke into an apartment with a hammer. He already tried to do so on Wednesday night. Then he was not successful.
Three police officers immediately went to the corridor of the block of flats to take action against the 35-year-old man. They wanted to handcuff him. However, the perpetrator turned against them, kicked and hit the officers. Finally, he drew a 17 centimetres long knife and began stabbing the police officers.
He injured one on his left thigh and the other on his arm and chest. However, he pierced the 29-year-old Péter Baumann near his heart. He did not die immediately. The three injured officers were rushed to hospital, but doctors could not save Mr Baumann’s life. After the assault, he fled onto the street, where he was shot in the leg and captured. HERE you may watch the video of how he was caught.
Index.hu asked criminal lawyer Csaba Katona about what punishment the perpetrator should expect. He highlighted that the prosecutors would decide whether the attacker was imputable and indictable. If the answer is yes, two scenarios are possible.
The first scenario is homicide against an officer. That can mean 10-20 years in prison or even a life sentence. The second option is violence causing death. In that case, the court has to decide whether it was the perpetrator’s intention to kill or the young officer’s death was the tragic result of a scuffle. In that case, the jail sentence ranges between 2-12 years.
Mr Katona believes that the perpetrator consumed drug. Moreover, in this case, there will be public pressure on the prosecutors and the court. Pál Bátki, a criminal lawyer, added that there would be plenty of evidence from fellow officers as eyewitnesses to video recordings.
According to the Hungarian News Agency (MTI), the perpetrator has filed a complaint over being named a suspect in the case, the spokeswoman for the central prosecutor of investigations (KNYF) said on Friday. The 35-year-old suspect has not confessed, Katalin Kovács told MTI.
The chief prosecutor for investigations, Pál Fürcht, told a press conference on Friday that the KNYF is treating the case as manslaughter and attempted manslaughter of public officials.
Below you may watch the video of how Budapest police commemorated their loss yesterday by clicking on the “Megtekintés Facebookon” button:
