A knife-carrying man stabbed police officer in the neck during a traffic stop in Tbilisi, days after he appears to have been released without charge after confronting anti-government protesters.
In a statement on Sunday, the Interior Ministry said the police officer was performing his duties on Ketevan Dedopali Avenue when a 32-year-old man attacked and stabbed him with a knife.
The officer was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition.
After the incident was reported, what appeared to be the suspect’s Facebook profile began to circulate online, which contained three livestreamed videos on Sunday evening from his car during interactions with police — the last of which appeared to show the stabbing.
The Interior Ministry has not disclosed the full name of the detainee, listing only his initials as M.G. According to the live streams, the man introduces himself to police as Malkhaz Giguashvili.
In the first video, police stopped the man for a traffic violation and noticed two knives between the seats. Despite warnings that carrying a blade in an accessible location could be illegal, the officer let him go. During the encounter, the driver refused the officer’s request to step out of the car so it could be checked for other illegal items.
To prove he had nothing other than knives, he opened a nearby bag and took out several additional blades, which he described as ‘old-fashioned knives’, apparently hinting that it was just a collection.
‘That one’s closed [in the bag], so it’s not a problem’, the officer replied, warning him about traffic regulations before leaving.
In later streams, a police car followed the man again, urging him to stop again, but he repeatedly refused, shouting ‘I won’t stop!’
In the final video, another patrol forced the man to pull over, leading to a confrontation during which the stabbing apparently occurred.
Reports have also surfaced on social media claiming that on 3 October, the man had appeared at the daily anti-government rally outside parliament, where witnesses said he confronted protesters.
Activist Levan Zazadze, quoting people on the scene, said that at one point the man fell, revealing that he was carrying ‘five kitchen knives’.
‘So what do you think the so-called crime-fighting police did? Exactly — they let him go!’ Zazadze wrote on Facebook.
‘Two days later, this same person stabbed a police officer’, he added.
The Facebook profile associated with the suspect appeared to confirm that a confrontation with protesters took place on 3 October, and that he was carrying a knife. The post added that he had told officers who intervened that he was a supporter of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
He confirmed that police removed him from the scene — but, as it appears, ultimately let him go.
The man’s profile contains several posts opposing the ongoing protests — in one, he urged police to shoot protesters in the legs if they ever tried to enter the parliament building.
Following the stabbing, some social media users criticised the police for their harsh approach toward anti-government activists, saying their energy was being directed the wrong way.
‘You fight peaceful citizens, obey absurd orders, and in the end it’s the criminals who harm you’, Zazadze wrote, addressing the Interior Ministry.
Another activist, Dodi Kharkheli, wrote on Facebook that the incident might have been prevented if the ministry ‘didn’t see us as the country’s main enemy and instead focused on neutralising those who really pose a threat’.
The detainee faces up to 11 years in prison if found guilty.
Mikheil Gvadzabia
