Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 30 May 2018

Man kills 3 in Belgium with guns of stabbed police officers

By LORNE COOK qualified as radicalized.
SYLVAIN PLAZY Otherwise he would have
LIEGE, Belgium (AP) — A been known as such by all
knife-wielding prison inmate services."
stabbed two female police But a senior official at the
officers in the Belgian city federal prosecutor's office
of Liege, stole their service told The Associated Press
weapons and shot them that "there are indications
and a bystander dead in it could be a terror attack."
an attack Tuesday that Despite this, Belgium's crisis
prosecutors fear could be center said it saw no reason
terror-related. to raise the country's terror
Justice Minister Koen threat alert for now.
Geens said the assailant, Belgium's King Philippe,
who was later killed by Prime Minister Charles
police, was on a two-day Michel and the country's
leave from prison. Geens justice and interior ministers
described him as a repeat traveled to Liege to confer
offender who had been with local officials.
incarcerated since 2003 "I want to offer my
and was due for release in government's support for
two years. the victims, for the victims'
The attack happened families," Michel said.
outside a Liege cafe on Yves Stevens of Belgium's
Tuesday morning. Liege federal crisis center said
prosecutors' spokesman that security in Liege is
Philippe Dulieu said the man under control, and that
crept up on the two officers there was no reason yet
from behind carrying a to raise the national terror
knife and stabbed them threat level.
several times. "There is absolutely no
"He then took their confirmation yet that the
weapons. He used the incident is terror-related,"
weapons on the officers, Stevens told the AP.
who died," Dulieu told Belgian police and military
reporters. The two police Forensic police, right, investigate at the scene of a shooting in Liege, Belgium, Tuesday, May 29, have been on alert since
handguns had a total of 17 2018. suicide bombers killed
bullets. Associated Press 32 people at the Brussels
Dulieu said the attacker airport and subway system
then shot and killed a officers were 45-years- included theft, assault Herman did not have his in 2016.
22-year-old man in a old and 53-years-old, the and drug offenses, state name on a list maintained It's not the first time
vehicle that was leaving latter the mother of twins. broadcaster RTBF reported. by an anti-terror assessment Liege has been hit by a
a parking space outside Four other officers were The federal prosecutor's group. similarly violent attack. In
a nearby high school. He wounded in the attack, office declined to Asked about reports December 2011, a man
then took two women one of them seriously with a comment. that Herman had been with a history of weapons
hostage inside the school. severed femoral artery. Belgian Prime Minister radicalized in prison, Geens and drug offenses left
"Liege police intervened. "The goal of the attacker Charles Michel says said "at the moment there home with hand grenades
He came out firing at was to target the police," Herman was indirectly is very little consistent we and guns before he
police, wounding a number Beaupere said. mentioned in state security can say about that." lobbed the grenades into a
of them, notably in the legs. Belgian media identified reports on radicalization, "in "In any case, he is not a square filled with Christmas
He was shot dead," the the suspect as Benjamin notes that did not primarily clear-cut case, on the shoppers and fired on
spokesman said. Herman; a Belgian national target him, but others or contrary," Geens said. "He those who escaped. Five
Police Chief Christian born in 1982 who had other situations." certainly was not someone were killed, including the
Beaupere said the slain a criminal record that The prime minister says who could clearly be assailant.q