Brussels attack: Belgian police shoot and injure man who assaulted officer with knife

Attacker found sleeping rough near park where asylum seekers camp

Police in Belgium have shot and seriously injured a man who attacked them with a knife after he was found sleeping rough near a centre for asylum seekers in Brussels.

Two police officers approached two sleeping men and asked them to move on when one pulled out a knife and refused to drop it, Brussels police spokeswoman Ilse Van de Keere said.

The officers used a baton and sprayed the man with gas, but “the person continued to be threatening and injured the officer in the head,” Ms Van de Keere said.

The other officer then fired at the man, hitting him in the chest and leg.

The attack happened near the Park Maximilien, where asylum seekers routinely camp (REUTERS/Yves Herman) (REUTERS REUTERS/Yves Herman)

The officer sustained a light cut in the attack.

A local resident told The Associated Press he heard at least two shots.

“I heard a gunshot. Then two or three. Then a guy fell down on the ground and the police were shouting ‘drop the knife, drop the knife,’ and the guy fell on the ground.”

The attack happened near a park where refugees and migrants routinely camp while their applications for residency permits are assessed nearby.

Police gave no details on the suspect’s identity.