Warsaw, Poland— Police detained a 21-year-old man in central Warsaw on the afternoon of October 20, 2026 after a knife attack on a busy downtown sidewalk left three young adults injured and forced officers to seal off two blocks.
The call came in just after 3 p.m. Witnesses reported a man shouting and lunging at passersby near the intersection of Marszałkowska and Świętokrzyska. Patrol units were two minutes away. They found three victims on the ground, bleeding but conscious, and a crowd backing away from the suspect.
Officers ordered him to drop the weapon. He did not. One officer used a Taser. The man fell and was cuffed on the pavement. The knife, described by police as a kitchen-type blade about 20 centimeters long, was recovered and bagged as evidence.
"We received multiple emergency calls reporting an aggressive male attacking people at random," a Warsaw Police Headquarters spokesperson said in a statement. "Officers intervened immediately. The perpetrator was disarmed and detained. There is no ongoing threat to the public."
Paramedics treated the victims at the scene before transporting them to nearby hospitals. Two sustained stab wounds to the arms and torso. The third had defensive cuts. Doctors told police none of the injuries were immediately life-threatening. All three are reported to be between 19 and 24 years old.
The motive remains unclear. Investigators from the criminal division spent hours interviewing witnesses and pulling CCTV from storefronts and tram stops. One shop owner said the attack seemed unprovoked. "He just started swinging. No argument. No robbery," he told PAP.
Police said the detained man is a Polish citizen with no fixed address in Warsaw. He was taken to a detention facility on Wilcza Street and is expected to be questioned by a prosecutor overnight. Blood samples were taken to test for alcohol and drugs.
The area remained closed until early evening as forensic technicians marked blood traces and photographed the scene. Trams were rerouted. Officers went door to door asking for additional footage.
Charges are expected to include attempted homicide and causing grievous bodily harm. Police said they will request pre-trial detention.
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