Netherlands: Two killed & one injured in Almelo stabbing; Police fire at suspect

In a stabbing incident in Almelo, The Netherlands, on Friday morning, two people were killed and another was injured. One suspect was detained, according to officials. Police shot the suspect while attempting to apprehend him at the scene. According to local media, a man was seen shooting a crossbow from a balcony, and a body was found inside the home.

Officers claimed that the incident was under control on Twitter, but it was then upgraded to a GRIP 3 emergency response. M.th. Steynstraat, a side street of Schoolstraat, was the scene of the event. Multiple gunfires were heard by bystanders, according to Duch Daily newspaper Tubantia. At least six ambulances and six police vehicles were dispatched to the area. A tactical police team was also seen.

Overijssel police confirmed the stabbing incident at around 10:00 am

Overijssel police confirmed that they were on M.th. Steynstraat in connection with a stabbing incident at around 10:00 am, and that they fired bullets. According to the police, the scenario was escalated to a GRIP 1 after 15 minutes. The police tweeted, "There is a so-called Grip1 situation. This allows the emergency services to work together optimally. The arrest team has now arrested one person and the situation is under control." The scenario was quickly escalated to GRIP 3 at 10:45 am.

However, the situation had greatly cooled down by 12:45 pm. Nevertheless, the case is still being investigated. According to NCTV (the government's counter-terrorism and security bureau), a GRIP 3 situation indicates that there is a threat to the well-being of a population, often within a single municipality.

The protocol calls for the local mayor to engage with the municipal team to plan an administrative response and effectively address the aftermath of the event once an incident commander takes over the scene and another incident leader provides support from a remote location. The event is also reported to the Minister of the Interior and the Provincial Commissioner.

What is GRIP?

GRIP stands for Gecoördineerde Regionale Incidentbestrijdings Procedure, which means Coordinated Regional Incident Response Procedure in English. There are six severity categories, with the fifth being a multi-regional crisis and the sixth being a national disaster.

Image: AP/ Pixabay