Police arrest suspect after axe attack leaves 61-year-old man critically injured in western Germany

Police special forces arrested a neighbor of a 61-year-old man in Hattingen, North Rhine-Westphalia, following a life-threatening attack on Monday, a police spokeswoman said. The suspect emerged from a neighboring house and surrendered without resistance, according to the spokeswoman .

The victim was discovered around 3:20 p.m. Monday with severe injuries on his property in Hattingen-Niederwenigern, prompting a large-scale police operation. Authorities initially could not rule out that the suspect was armed, leading to the deployment of special forces, the spokeswoman said. The injured man was treated at the scene before being airlifted by rescue helicopter to a specialized clinic, where his condition remained critical, with his life still at risk as of Monday evening .

Prosecutors in Essen have taken over the investigation, treating the case as an attempted homicide, according to a joint statement from the Essen public prosecutor’s office and Hagen police . A homicide commission has been assigned to the case, and the area where the man was found was cordoned off for forensic examination. Investigators have not confirmed whether the discovery site was also the crime scene .

German media, including *Bild* and *WAZ*, reported that the victim was found with an axe embedded in his head, and that a passerby discovered him in a driveway on Breddestraße. The rescue helicopter *Christoph 8* transported the man to a hospital, according to these reports . Police declined to comment on the nature of the injuries or the possible weapon, citing investigative reasons .

The suspect, described by *Bild* as the victim’s brother, is expected to appear before a magistrate on Tuesday, the police spokeswoman said . Authorities have not officially confirmed the relationship between the suspect and the victim, nor have they disclosed a possible motive, though *Bild* suggested it may stem from a private dispute .