Police in Krakow open fire during arrest of 23-year-old man with a knife

Incident on Kapelanka Street

On the night of 8 November, Polish law enforcement agencies arrested a 23-year-old man who was walking down Kapelanka Street in Krakow, holding a knife with a blade approximately 20 centimetres long. During the attempt to stop the offender, police officers fired shots.

This was reported by the Polish Press Agency (PAP), citing Katarzyna Ciesło, the spokesperson for the police of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. A signal from witnesses reached the emergency services hotline shortly after 3:00 am. Witnesses to the incident noted that a man with a knife was walking down the street.

Course of the arrest

A police patrol unit located the 23-year-old man with the knife. Law enforcement officers initially fired warning shots, but he did not react. After that, one of the police officers fired in his direction, but the shot missed.

Following this shot, the man dropped the knife from his hands. This allowed law enforcement officers to arrest him. The detainee was subsequently taken to a medical facility.

Particulars of the case

Preliminary police data suggests that the detainee may suffer from mental disorders. More detailed information about the man's identity and possible causes of his behaviour is currently not disclosed. No one was injured as a result of this incident.

Police emphasised that the incident on Kapelanka Street has no connection to the shooting that took place the previous day on Krakow's Main Market Square. Approximately 12 hours had passed between these two incidents.