For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails
Sign up to our free breaking news emails
A police officer nearly lost her hand in a horror sword attack which left a 14-year-old boy dead and four others in hospital, the Met Commissioner said.
Sir Mark Rowley described the officer’s injuries as “really horrifically serious”, with her arm left “really badly damaged” after the sword-wielding suspect launched a dawn rampage in Hainault, northeast London, on Tuesday.
“The surgeons spent many hours basically putting her arms back together,” Sir Mark told LBC. When asked if he could confirm reports she was close to actually losing her hand, the commissioner said: “That’s not a million miles away.”
Police were called shortly before 7am to reports of a vehicle being driven into a house in the Thurlow Gardens area of Hainault, with reports that people had been stabbed.
A 14-year-old boy died at the scene and four people were rushed to hospital with injuries believed not to be life-threatening.
Police are still waiting to question the 36-year-old suspect who was injured when his van collided with the property before the attack.
Pictured: Dogs search crime scene
Moment police take down Hainault sword attack suspect captured on home CCTV
‘Neighbours woken by screams’: How a 22 minute samurai sword attack turned Hainault into a bloodbath
It was just before 7am when loud screams woke the neighbourhood in the quiet suburb of Hainault on Tuesday morning.
A grey transporter van had collided with the home of a “nice family” in Laing Close. Fearing an accident had taken place, one man went over to see if the driver was ok before he was attacked.
Stumbling out of the crash, a man in a yellow hoody asked a woman for his location before she saw him pull a huge blade out of his trousers and launch his attack.
Dramatic CCTV captures moment sword attack suspect arrested after boy stabbed to death
Watch: Met Commissioner Mark Rowley details Hainault sword attack minute-by-minute
Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has given a detailed minute-by-minute account of the terrifying Hainault sword attack.
A 14-year-old boy died at the scene on Tuesday (30 April) and four people were rushed to hospital with injuries believed not to be life-threatening.
Police are still waiting to question the 36-year-old suspect who was injured when his van collided with the property before the attack.
Discussing the attack during an LBC interview today, Sir Mark revealed officers were at the scene within 12 minutes of receiving emergency calls.
Neighbours horrified at schoolboy stabbing
Aiste Dabasinskaaite described the moment she saw a man fatally stab the teenager.
She said the man asked her for the address of the area they were in, then put his foot on her foot so she “couldn’t back off”.
She told ITV: “Once I told the address, he sort of moved closer towards me, he put his foot on my foot so I couldn’t back off and then that’s when he like drew out the sword.
“It was arm’s length. It was honestly petrifying. I just ran down the road, I didn’t even look back to see if he was chasing me.”
Ms Dabasinskaaite said she tried to warn the teenager, adding: “My instinct was to shout and wave at him, which is what me and another neighbour did but because he had just his headphones on I don’t think he heard either of us.
“It was sort of a moment where we just went from shouting to just blankness, just felt empty,” she added. “You wouldn’t think that would happen on your doorstep you know.”
Watch: Resident witnessed neighbour screaming ‘he is in my house’
Hainault stabbing: Resident witnessed neighbour screaming ‘he is in my house’
A Hainault resident witnessed a neighbour screaming “he is in my house” as a sword attack unfolded on Tuesday 30 April. Jana Ignat told The Independent about the terrifying scene she witnessed in east London. A 14-year-old boy has died following multiple stabbings, while the sword-wielding suspect remains in custody after being tasered by police. Four other people were injured in the attack. Two Metropolitan Police officers suffered wounds that both require surgery. Their injuries have been described as “significant” but not life-threatening, and injuries sustained by two members of the public are also not deemed to be life-threatening.
Hainault sword attack witness describes moment police tasered and arrested armed suspect
Hainault sword attack witness describes moment police taser and arrest armed suspect
An eyewitness has described the moment he saw police taser and arrest a man armed with a sword after a 14-year-old boy was killed and two police officers seriously injured in an attack in London on Tuesday (30 April). A further four people were also wounded in the terrifying attack in Hainault, east London. Eyewitness Chris Bates told Sky News: “They (the police) all ran up to where he was in the driveway shouting and screaming for him to put the sword down. “He had a big samurai sword and they were screaming at him. “They tasered him and seven or eight of them piled on top of him.” A 36-year-old man remains in custody.
Dramatic CCTV captures moment sword attack suspect arrested after boy stabbed to death
Female police officer nearly lost her hand in knife attack, Met commissioner says
The female police officer who was wounded in the horrific knife attack in east London yesterday was close to losing her hand altogether, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner has said.
Speaking to Nick Ferrari on LBC this morning, Sir Mark Rowley described her injuries as “horrifically serious”, with her arm left “really badly damaged” after a sword-wielding man launched a dawn rampage in a suburban street in Hainault shortly before 7am.
She was one of two police officers who underwent surgery for serious wounds after they tried to stop the apparently random attack, while two members of the public also remain in hospital. None of their injuries are thought to be life-threatening.
Sir Mark said he visited his officers in hospital yesterday, speaking with them, and their friends, family and colleagues.
He said of the female police officer: “The surgeons spent many hours basically putting her arm back together.” When asked by Mr Ferrari if he could confirm reports she was close to actually losing her hand, the commissioner said: “That’s not a million miles away.”
When it came to the male inspector whose hand was also left “badly damaged”, Sir Mark said: “He’s got a lot of patching up to be done in his hand – really serious injuries there.”
A 36-year-old suspect was cornered by officers and tasered before being arrested on suspicion of murder.
The commissioner said: "For the parents involved, who’ve lost their 14-year-old, that is just horrific, and it’s everyone’s worst nightmare. I’m sure we’re all thinking about them.
"We were on the ground in 12 minutes, and he was detained after 22 minutes. Obviously some of the first contacts led to officers being very severely injured."
Describing how he finds his officers “humbling”, the commissioner said: “They will run towards danger – but that is not a glib phrase, that’s real. They’re charging towards somebody with a sword, putting themselves at risk because they’re so connected to the idea that it’s their job to protect the public. They do that day in, day out.”
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMibGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmluZGVwZW5kZW50LmNvLnVrL25ld3MvdWsvY3JpbWUvaGFpbmF1bHQtc3RhdGlvbi1zdGFiYmluZy1zd29yZC1sb25kb24tcG9saWNlLW5ld3MtYjI1MzY5OTYuaHRtbNIBAA?oc=5
2024-05-01 11:57:13Z
CBMibGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmluZGVwZW5kZW50LmNvLnVrL25ld3MvdWsvY3JpbWUvaGFpbmF1bHQtc3RhdGlvbi1zdGFiYmluZy1zd29yZC1sb25kb24tcG9saWNlLW5ld3MtYjI1MzY5OTYuaHRtbNIBAA
