Neo-Nazi Suspected In German Police Chief Stabbing

Mannichl, police chief in the southern city of Passau, had taken a firm stand against far-right supporters in recent years.

A police chief who cracked down on neo-Nazis was stabbed in front of his southern German home by a man suspected of being a far-right supporter, police said on Sunday.

Alois Mannichl, 52, was badly injured in the Saturday night attack by the man who police said made threats with language used by far-right supporters, before he stabbed the policeman and fled.

Mannichl, police chief in the southern city of Passau, had taken a firm stand against far-right supporters in recent years and had become a target for hostility, Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said.

If the attack was carried out by a neo-Nazi, the incident would mark an escalation of right-wing extremism in Germany, Herrmann added.