RIGA (Sputnik) – Interior Minister of Lithuania Saulius Skvernelis resigned on Friday amid criticism he received in connection with the incident when a suspect stole a police assault rifle, local media reported.
On Thursday, a man in Vilnius escaped from arrest having grabbed an assault rifle from a law enforcement officer.
"The most important thing for me is the safety of every person in Lithuania and of the state itself. Therefore, in the name of public interest and stability in our country, against the backdrop of a common global threat, I made this decision [to resign],” Skvernelis said after he handed his resignation letter to Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius, as quoted by the Delfi news portal.
The 24-year-old suspect, who, according to media reports, has mental disabilities, was detained later on Thursday. Over 3,000 law enforcement officers reportedly took part in the operation to find him.
