Police arrest 23-year-old after knife attack at gas station in Kęty leaves four injured
A 23-year-old man was arrested after stabbing four people during a fight near a gas station in Kęty, southern Poland, in the early hours of 16 August 2026. Three victims had superficial wounds and one was stabbed in the chest.
The attack
Just after midnight on Saturday 15 August into Sunday 16 August 2026, a fight broke out near one of the gas stations in Kęty, a town in the Oświęcim county of the Małopolskie region in southern Poland. Witnesses who noticed the altercation contacted police. According to preliminary findings by officers from the Kęty police station and the Oświęcim County Police, the dispute involved several people, both men and women, and began as a verbal argument. At some point the confrontation spiralled out of control, and one of the male participants suddenly drew a knife and attacked four other men. After stabbing his victims, the assailant fled the scene on foot.
Three of the victims sustained superficial wounds, while the fourth was stabbed in the chest. All four were transported to hospital in the early hours of 16 August. Police described the chest-injury victim's condition as not life-threatening. No further details on the victims' identities or conditions were released by the time of the latest reports.
- Superficial wounds
- 3
- Chest stab wound
- 1
Police response and arrest
Officers from the Kęty police station and the Oświęcim County Police launched an immediate search, working through the night. They secured the scene, collected material evidence, interviewed witnesses, and analysed CCTV recordings from the area. Reports published at 07:31 and 08:52 on 16 August indicated that officers had been conducting search activities for several hours without yet locating the suspect. At that stage, police appealed to anyone with information about the incident or the assailant to contact the nearest police unit.
By late morning, the intensive search had produced results. Police identified and arrested a 23-year-old man from the municipality of Brzeszcze. He was found hiding in the neighbouring municipality of Osiek.
Małgorzata Jurecka, press officer for the Oświęcim County Police, confirmed the arrest at 13:00 on 16 August.
He was hiding in the area of the Osiek municipality. The man was wanted in connection with causing bodily harm to four people.
She added that officers were continuing their work to establish the exact course of events.
- Fight breaks out near gas station in Kęty; four men stabbed, assailant flees
- Police still searching; officers securing evidence, interviewing witnesses, analysing CCTV; police appeal to public for information
- 23-year-old from Brzeszcze arrested in Osiek municipality
- Police press officer Małgorzata Jurecka confirms arrest
Anna Zbroja-Zagórska, from the press team of the Kraków Provincial Police, told the portal beskidzka24.pl that after the attack the assailant fled, and officers began searches, secured evidence, interviewed witnesses, and analysed monitoring recordings before detaining the suspect.
Investigation ongoing
Police said both the detained 23-year-old and the other participants in the fight were previously known to officers. Investigators are working to establish the precise sequence of events, what triggered the escalation of the conflict, and why one participant reached for a knife. Officers are continuing to interview witnesses and review evidence.
As of 16 August, no charges had been formally announced, and it remained unclear what charges the suspect would face. The prosecutor's office will determine the next steps in the case, including the formal charges and the suspect's further detention. Police are conducting further activities in the case, with officers from both the Kęty police station and the Oświęcim County Police involved in the ongoing investigation.
