The man who made threats Friday at Sainte-Anne Hospital Saint-Remi d’Anderlecht died on Monday followingnoon following setting fire to his own cell in the morning and being seriously injured.
“He set fire to his cell. He was seriously injured. He had severe burns and was transferred to the military hospital in Neder-Over-Heembeek where he sadly died of his injuries“, Explain William Baertspokesperson for the Brussels public prosecutor’s office.
Recall of facts
The man, Hamza, 24, iswas presented armed with a knife Friday morning at the emergency department of the Brussels hospital. He reportedly said he was going to die, but would come back to “kill everyone”, according to witnesses.
The individual then left without causing any casualties. However, the police took the threat very seriously and immediately organized a manhunt. The Brussels public prosecutor’s office had been informed, as well as all the other police zones in the capital and all the hospitals in the Brussels region. The police of his municipality of residence, Martelangeand province of Luxembourg, had also been notified.
Friday evening, the man might finally be arrested in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode. Police say the arrest went smoothly.
The prosecution had launched the so-called Nixon procedure on Saturday, allowing the suspect to be forcibly committed to a psychiatric establishment. It was ultimately not applied, due to the elements of the investigation.
“We started the Nixon procedure, which is a procedure to check whether the person can be put under forced observation. So he was taken to the hospital to be seen by a psychiatrist, but that procedure was negative. The conditions were not met“, precise William Baertspokesperson for the Brussels public prosecutor’s office.
On Sunday, the investigating judge had finally decided to place him under an arrest warrant and to charge him with carrying a prohibited weapon.
“This morning, he set fire to his cell in Saint-Gilles prison“, has explained William Baertspokesperson for the prosecution. “He suffered severe burns and was transferred to the military hospital in Neder-Over-Heembeekwhere he succumbed to his injuries during the day.“
Hamza had been incarcerated in Saint-Gilles prison in an ordinary cell. “Inmates may smoke in their cells. They therefore have lighters except in certain cases, when the prisoner is prohibited from objects“, explain Kathleen Van de Pondprison administration spokesperson.
The public prosecutor’s office opened a judicial inquiry, appointed a forensic doctor and visited the Brussels prison in the company of the judicial police laboratory and an expert in fire.
