Man with knife arrested outside home of Bruges mayor

A man with a knife was arrested outside the home of the mayor of Bruges on Wednesday evening. The suspect had previously sent threatening emails to the mayor, who was the victim of a murder attempt in 2020.

A 25-year-old man rang the doorbell of a house near the residence of Bruges mayor Dirk De fauw at around 22.00 on Wednesday. The man asked about the mayor, arousing suspicion among the residents, who notified the police. 

Moments later, the Bruges local police found the suspect in the driveway of the mayor's residence. He had a knife in his hand when he was arrested, according to the Bruges department of the West Flanders public prosecutor's office.

According to initial investigations, the suspect had sent several threatening emails to the mayor in recent months. After questioning, he will be brought before the Bruges examining magistrate on suspicion of carrying a prohibited weapon and stalking. Further investigations will be carried out to clarify the exact circumstances.

De fauw was previously the victim of an attempted murder on 20 June 2020. Bart G, a man in his 30s from Torhout, stabbed De fauw in the neck with a knife. The attacker had an appointment that morning with De fauw, who also works as a lawyer and manages the man's assets as a trustee. Bart G was admitted to a psychiatric institution.

^{#FlandersNewsService | Bruges mayor Dirk De fauw © BELGA PHOTO KURT DESPLENTER}