Prosecutor: Man who stabbed police officer to death files complaint over being named suspect

The 35-year-old suspect has not made a confession, Katalin Kovacs told MTI.

The officers were in a unit alerted to a block of flats by residents after a violent neighbour had attempted to break into a home. The intruder assaulted the police officers and fled onto the street, where he was shot in the leg and captured.

The three injured officers were rushed to hospital but one of them could not be saved, the website said.

Later on Friday, the central prosecutor of investigations said the stabbing had not been an act of terrorism. Pal Furcht said an investigation into homicide and homicide attempt was under way. He added that the perpetrator was in custody and was being questioned.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán expressed his condolences with the family of the deceased officer. Speaking on public Kossuth Radio, Orban said such occurrences were rare, and law enforcement were doing a good job.

Police spokesperson Kristof Gal said proceedings have been initiated to declare the deceased officer as one who died a hero’s death in the line of duty. He also expressed his fellow staff members’ sympathy with the officer’s family.

Parties of the opposition voiced their regret to family members of the victim and wished a speedy recovery to the two injured policemen.

Klara Dobrev, shadow prime minister of the Democratic Coalition, called the incident a “terrible tragedy”. She said the death of a young officer that had made an oath to “protect our safety and public order even at the cost of his life” was an “inconceivable loss”.

Zoltan Sas, the (Jobbik) head of parliament’s national security committee, said Hungarian police should be equipped with body cameras to capture police activity and to act as a deterrent. Cases like this one require a full investigation before any conclusions can be drawn, Sas said on Facebook. “But one thing is certain: one young police officer has died and two have been seriously injured,” Sas said, expressing his condolences to the officer’s family and colleagues.

Parbeszed’s Richard Barabas, deputy mayor of Budapest’s 11th district, also expressed his condolences on Facebook, adding it was “unfathomable that such an incident can occur”. He wished a speedy recovery to the injured officers and strength to their families and friends. He said black flags will be hoisted on the district local council’s buildings in honour of the slain officer.

Elod Novak, head of the radical Mi Hazank party, proposed that the officer should be promoted posthumously, and proposed a reward to the other policemen that had captured the perpetrator. He said he would propose that parliament broaden police officers’ rights to use their weapons when on duty, as well as to equip them with protective gear.

Gergely Karacsony, the mayor of Budapest, contacted Budapest police chief Tamas Terdik to obtain information on the “shocking murder of police” and offered the city’s help to the victim’s family.