Somali man’s attempt to kill Danish cartoonist foiled

The man was charged at a court hearing in Aarhus,Denmark’s second largest city. He was wheeled into courtroom on a stretcher from the hospital where he was being treated for his wounds accompanied by a lawyer,authorities said.

Chief Superintendent Ole Madsen in Aarhus said the Somali man was charged with two counts of attempted murder: one on Westergaard and one on a police officer. “He will be in custody for four weeks,and in isolation for two,” he said.

The man was kept under heavy guard at a Danish hospital after police stopped him from killing Westergaard.

The 75-year-old artist,who has received previous death threats,pressed an alarm and fled with his visiting 5-year-old granddaughter to a specially made safe room.

Officers arrived two minutes later and tried to arrest the assailant,who wielded an axe at a police officer,said Preben Nielsen of the Aarhus police. The officer then shot the man in his knee and his hand,authorities said.

The suspect’s name was not released in line with Danish privacy rules. Nielsen said he was in serious condition at a hospital but his life was not in danger.