Armed man arrested 'trying to infiltrate German chancellor's motorcade' in Prague
- 25 Aug 2016
Czech police halted an armed man in a black 4x4 Mercedes as he allegedly tried to join Merkel’s motorcade during her visit to the capital Praguecapital Prague
A feared assassination attempt on German Chancellor Angela Merkel has reportedly been foiled in Prague.
Czech police halted an armed man in his car as he allegedly tried to join Merkel’s motorcade during her visit to the capital.
Local reports claim that officers found a baton, a canister of tear gas, cement blocks, and handcuffs in the man’s black 4x4 Mercedes.
A video posted on the Blesk news website shows several officers around a police car talking to the middle-aged man.
" The perpetrator has been detained,” police spokesman Josef Bocan said.
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"He is suspected of attempting to cause a crime – specifically an attempt to use violence against an official.”
“Thanks to the professional actions of officers, Angela Merkel’s life was not in danger.
"The incident is currently being investigated by Prague detectives.”
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The chancellor was in Prague to meet Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka.
She was travelling from the airport to the city when the suspicious vehicle appeared on the outskirts of the city, Russia Today reports.
The Mercedes driver is reported to have refused to obey orders coming from police cars accompanying the German chancellor.
He is alleged to have carried on trying to enter the motorcade and cut off a police vehicle that was trying to stop him.
The driver reportedly only stopped and got out of the vehicle after police warned him that they were going to shoot.
Merkel is meeting 15 other heads of state this week to create a new agenda after Britain's decision to leave the EU.
A series of demonstrations have greeted her in Prague, while demonstrators held posters saying “Merkel is killing Europe.”
