© David W Cerny / ReutersCzech Republic's Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka and German Chancellor Angela Merkel attend a news conference at government headquarters in Prague, Czech Republic, August 25, 2016.
"The perpetrator has been detained," police spokesman Josef Bocan said. "He is suspected of attempting to cause a crime - specifically an attempt to use violence against an official."
"Thanks to the professional actions of officers, Angela Merkel's life was not in danger. The incident is currently being investigated by Prague detectives."
Merkel was in Prague on Thursday for a one-day visit, during which she met with Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka.
She was making her way from the airport, when the suspicious vehicle appeared on the outskirts of the city.
"The driver of the Mercedes refused to obey orders coming from police cars accompanying the German chancellor. He tried to join the procession at all costs, cutting off a police vehicle that was trying to stop him. He only stopped and got out of the vehicle after police warned him that they were going to shoot."
According to local news portal Blesk, officers found a baton, a canister of tear gas, and handcuffs in the man's car. A video posted on its website shows several police officers talking calmly on the roadside to an unprepossessing middle-aged man, who was not showing any signs of resistance.
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