A 21-year-old U.S. citizen was seriously injured in Dresden in the early hours of Sunday while intervening to protect two women from harassment on a tram.
Police arrested a Syrian suspect, but he has since been released.
Authorities say the Syrian man allegedly punched the young American in the face. The suspect, who fled the scene on an e-scooter, is already known to police for previous involvement in dangerous bodily harm and robbery.
After his arrest, he was held in police custody overnight.
Police spokesperson Thomas Geithner confirmed, “He was provisionally detained and has been released by the decision of the public prosecutor’s office.” The reasons for his release have not been disclosed.
A second suspect, reportedly the individual who wielded a knife and according to reports stabbed his victim in the face remains at large. Police are appealing for information on his whereabouts.
The incident occurred around 12:25 a.m. on tram line 7. Investigators report that two men from a group harassed female passengers, prompting the U.S. citizen to step in. He sustained multiple knife cuts to the face and was transported to a hospital by ambulance. Authorities said his injuries are not life-threatening.
