Man intubated after police officer fires single shot during knife attack at Mandra station

Confrontation inside Mandra station

A 31-year-old Greek national entered the Mandra-Eidyllia police station on the afternoon of Friday, 4 September 2026, armed with a knife. According to statements by police union representative Giorgos Kalliakmanis, the man first approached and threatened the sentry stationed outside the entrance before moving inside at a rapid pace. Inside the ground floor, he told staff he intended to issue an identity card, then moved toward the duty officer and threatened her with the blade. Several officers and the external guard attempted to immobilize the assailant, but he broke away and ran upstairs to the Security Department located on the first floor. On the upper floor, he confronted security officers and demanded that they place their service weapons on a table. Officers contained the man in an office room, attempting to negotiate his surrender while sealing the entryway.

Breach of the room and the shooting

The suspect refused repeated verbal orders to surrender his weapon and forced open the door, which an officer was attempting to hold shut from the outside. During the struggle, the man threw a flowerpot and shattered glass panels, inflicting head and arm lacerations on one of the responding officers. Two civilians, a mother and her son waiting in the identification office, took shelter in an adjoining room after hearing officers urgently call for armed support. The assailant emerged into the corridor holding the knife and advanced directly toward an officer, repeatedly shouting for police to shoot him. The officer aimed his service firearm, instructing the man to drop the knife and calm down. When the suspect closed the distance to strike with the blade, the officer discharged a single shot into the man's torso.

The Hellenic Police outlined the sequence of events and the decision to discharge the service firearm in an official statement.

Despite repeated and clear orders from the police officers to drop the knife and comply with their instructions, the 31-year-old did not respond and continued to move threateningly, entering an area of the police station where officers were located.

Emergency surgery and medical status

Following the shooting, station personnel called the National Emergency Aid Centre (EKAB) to provide urgent medical treatment on site. Paramedics transported the 31-year-old to Thriasio General Hospital in Elefsina, where doctors diagnosed a through-and-through gunshot wound traversing the thoracic and abdominal cavity. Surgical teams conducted emergency abdominal surgery on Friday evening, completing the operation late that night. As of Saturday morning, 5 September 2026, the man remains intubated in critical condition in the hospital intensive care unit under continuous police custody. The officer injured by shattered glass received medical attention for superficial cuts.

Previous psychiatric history and investigation

Investigators are examining the assailant's background, including whether the incident was a retaliatory act against law enforcement. Reporting by journalist Vassilis Lambropoulos indicates that the 31-year-old has a documented history of mental health disorders and previous police interactions. In June 2026, police arrested the man following an incident of domestic violence involving close family members, believed to be his parents. Later that month, officers intervened during a suicide attempt, leading to his involuntary commitment to a psychiatric facility in Athens. He was released after a short evaluation period and had been continuing outpatient pharmaceutical treatment. Authorities have opened an internal inquiry to determine how the armed individual was able to bypass entrance security protocols.