The Metropolitan police of London, U.K. have released bodycam footage showing the moment when two officers arrested a man suspected of stabbing two Jewish men in north-west London neighbourhood, Golders Green.
He was arrested based on suspicion of attempted murder.
What does the bodycam footage show?
The video shows the two officers confronting the man late Wednesday morning as he walked down the middle of a street carrying a knife.
The officers can be heard repeatedly shouting for the suspect to “get down on the ground” and demanding he “drop the knife.”
They brought down the suspect using a taser. After he fell, he held the knife close to his chest. The officers can be seen kicking the man in the head several times during the struggle to subdue him and get the knife away from him.
Then they handcuffed his hands behind his back.
Who are the victims of the alleged knife attack?
The victims were two local men, Shilome Rand, 34, and Moshe Shine, 76, the BBC reported. They were treated at the scene and are now in stable condition in hospital, according to police .
What do we know about the suspect?
The suspect is a 45-year-old man, a British national born in Somalia, who remains in custody, police said in a statement released on April 29 .
Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley added that suspect had a history of serious violence and mental health issues.
Police said the suspect was known to a U.K. counter-terrorism program and was the subject of referral to it in 2020. However, police said the referral was “closed in the same year,” the BBC reported.
Is this considered a terrorist attack?
The attack in Golders Green was formally declared a terrorist incident, according to police .
The Counter Terrorism Policing unit is engaged in an ongoing investigation. Officers are searching an address in south east London.
“The suspect also attempted to stab police officers, and was Tasered before being arrested. No officers were injured … As part of this investigation, detectives are also looking into an incident that was reported to police earlier today in south east London. It is believed that the suspect in this incident is the same individual arrested in Golders Green.”
Earlier Wednesday, police said they responded to an incident at a Golder Green address, where the suspect armed with a knife is believed to have had an altercation with the occupant before leaving. The occupant incurred minor injuries.
The focus of the investigation team, police say “remains on securing justice for the victims of this terrible attack.”
The Jewish security group, Shomrim, initially detained the suspect, reports the BBC. It dispatched volunteer responders after receiving a call about a man running along Golders Green Road armed with a knife, attempting to stab Jewish members of the public.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has thanked Shomrim and announced £25 million to improve security for the Jewish community following the incident.
“Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling has criticized British MP Zarah Sultana, accusing her of hypocrisy after she condemned antisemitism following the attack, reports the Jewish News Syndicate . “ I assume this is a different Zarah Sultana MP to the one who was recently filmed clapping along to loudspeaker chants for intifada,” Rowling posted on X Wednesday.
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