German police shoot dead man wielding knife in refugee home

BERLIN – An Iraqi man was shot dead by police in Berlin after lunging with a knife at another man who he believed had sexually abused his daughter, officials said Wednesday.

The incident happened late Tuesday as police were arresting the 27-year-old alleged abuser, a Pakistani citizen, at a refugee shelter in the German capital.

The unnamed Iraqi man, 29, was shot by several officers after ignoring repeated demands to stop, police and prosecutors said in a joint statement. The man later died of his injuries.

The Iraqi man’s 6-year-old daughter and her family are being assisted by psychological counsellors.

The head of the German Police Union, Bodo Pfalzgraf, said Wednesday that the incident was “tragic” but urged the media not to jump to conclusions about the police officers’ actions.

Pfalzgraf said officers were bound to “prevent vigilantism and a situation that threatens their own lives.”