(BrightPress.org) – Police shot and killed a refugee in Switzerland on the evening of February 8th after he threatened passengers on a train with an ax and knife.
The 32-year-old Iranian national got on the train near Yverdon, according to police. Once aboard, he ordered the driver to stop the train and had him gather with the other passengers. There were roughly 15 people in the car at the time. A four-hour standoff ensued.
Police eventually raided the train, killing the man in the process. Police said the man attacked them during the raid. All the hostages were safely released.
Passengers used their cell phones to alert the authorities who responded in force. Over 60 officers responded and attempted to negotiate with the man for hours. A special unit was even sent in from Geneva to help negotiate. They attempted to engage the man in English and Farsi and were unsuccessful.
Police said they raided the train when the man moved away from the hostages, using stun grenades. Upon entering the train car the man attacked them, which resulted in him being shot and killed at the scene.
Police weren’t sure what the man’s motive was. One of the hostages reported that the man showed signs of extreme stress. The hostages will receive mental health support from the Swiss government after their ordeal.
Very little is being shared about the man himself. It’s been reported that he is from Iran and was in the process of seeking asylum with officials in Neuchatel.
Incidents of hostage-taking are incredibly rare in Switzerland. The last time one occurred was in January 2022. Employees at a watch-making outlet were threatened, held hostage, and forced to open the company’s vault.
Switzerland has been a target location for many refugees from the Middle East. A Turkish woman was recently expelled after it was discovered she’d been in the country for four decades and was collecting government benefits for the previous 17 years. The court ruled that she be returned to her home country after it concluded she wasn’t integrating into the country and subsisted on welfare programs.
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