Video shows moment Hainault sword attack suspect is tasered and arrested
Dramatic footage shows the moment police tasered and arrested a 36-year-old man after a stabbing attack in northeast London.
A 14-year-old boy was killed and four people, including two police officers, were left injured after a man went on a rampage in Hainault.
Police were called to reports that a man was wielding a sword and attacking members of the public at around 7am.
The suspect was arrested 22 minutes later and the doorbell footage shows the moment officers cornered the hooded man, who was still holding his weapon, in a driveway.
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The video shows how officers shout at the suspect, saying “Don’t move, don’t f****** move” after he’s brought to the ground by three separate taser discharges.
The words “suspect contained” are eventually heard as a female officer pulls the sword away from the attacker.
At least six officers can be seen moving towards the suspect who is pinned down and arrested.
Armed officers then race to assist those who have apprehended the man, before one shouts: “Suspect secure, suspect secure.”
The 36-year-old is then told he is under arrest for murder.
The man is now in hospital after suffering injuries when his van crashed into a building, police have said.
In an on-camera statement given at around 4.30pm, the Met’s Assistant Commissioner Louise Rolfe said officers had been unable to question the man due to his injuries.
AC Rolfe also addressed speculation over whether the man was known to the police.
After “extensive checks” – which remain ongoing – officers “have found no trace of a prior incident involving him so far,” she said.
Police were first called to reports of a man wielding a sword and attacking members of the public on a road near Hainault tube station at around 7am.
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Eyewitnesses described hearing shrieking and seeing someone receive CPR at the scene of the stabbings.
Police said they did not think it was a targeted attack, or terror-related, and they were working to establish the circumstances of what took place.
A local resident, who did not want to be named, said she saw a body on the ground as she hid by a window as the man shouted “do you believe in God?” outside her home.
She said: “He was wielding his sword trying to attack the police but then they sprayed him and he ran away.
“We were very scared and trying to hide and not show ourselves through the window, because he was standing right next to our house and he could have seen us if he looked up.
“We were trying to hide but also at the same time taking video of him attacking the police, and of the body on the floor, so, yeah, we were very scared and we didn’t know what to do.”
The King asked to be kept informed about the incident and sent his thoughts to everyone affected.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “Following the horrific scenes in Hainault this morning, the King has asked to be kept fully informed as details of the incident become clearer.
“His thoughts and prayers are with all those affected – in particular, the family of the young victim who has lost his life – and he salutes the courage of the emergency services who helped contain the situation.”
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan praised the “everyday bravery” of the police officers who ran towards the suspect.
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He continued: “This attack is devastating and appalling. I’m sure I speak on behalf of the entire city when I say my thoughts and prayers are with this young child and his family.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak offered his condolences following the “shocking” incident, thanked the emergency services for their work and paid tribute to “the extraordinary bravery shown by police on the scene”.