A man suspected of murder in Harmånger was released from psychiatric care shortly before the incident. The small town was shaken when a female paramedic was fatally attacked. The suspect, previously convicted of threats and violence, was apprehended after a dramatic standoff.
Man Released from Psychiatric Care Before Harmånger Murder
Man Released from Psychiatric Care Before Harmånger Murder
The man suspected of murder in Harmånger had been released from psychiatric care shortly before the incident, according to sources from Expressen.
– He had expressed a desire to harm, says a source with insight.
In the small town of Harmånger, north of Hudiksvall, about 600 people reside. Most activities revolve around the small center where the Ica store, pizzeria, and inn serve as the village's gathering points. Otherwise, the only thing breaking the community's tranquility is the constant hum from the E4 highway passing nearby.
But on Saturday morning, sirens were also heard — first from an ambulance and shortly after from both police and a task force.
A female paramedic was attacked during an emergency call and injured with a sharp object. She later died in the hospital.
The suspected perpetrator, a man in his 20s, lives at the address.
– Several witnesses stood outside the door when the injured woman ran out. She threw herself out of the apartment after he had stabbed her. The guy stood with two knives in his hands. People shouted at him, and then he went back into the apartment, a neighbor told Expressen on Saturday.
A few hours later, the suspect was arrested as he climbed down from his balcony.
On Sunday, the police had completed their work at the scene and lifted the cordons around the white brick house where the suspected crime took place. Outside the door, candles have been placed on a well to honor the victim. Some people stop to light a candle at the memorial site while others curiously observe the place from a distance.
Convicted of Threats and Violence
On social media, images are circulating that are said to have been posted by the suspect when he was in his apartment after the act. The images show a knife with blood-like stains, and the text:
"Well, the police are outside with an SMG (submachine gun, editor's note) because I have killed someone."
It has not been confirmed from official sources that the suspect is the author of the images.
The man was charged in the spring for threatening a relative with a knife and for hitting the relative with fists and a pestle. He was convicted of unlawful threats and assault to probation and 180 hours of community service, with a directive to undergo treatment deemed appropriate by probation services.
Released from Psychiatric Care
A resident in the area says that police have been called to the suspect's address recently.
According to two independent sources, the man had been admitted to the psychiatric ward at Hudiksvall Hospital. However, he was discharged shortly before he is suspected of murdering the paramedic. According to a source with insight, he was sent home despite expressing thoughts of harming others.
According to a neighbor, both police and ambulance have been called to his address in recent weeks. According to the union, he attempted to hit ambulance personnel with a baseball bat days before the murder.