An English-speaking man has been praised for bravely tackling a knifeman in Amsterdam that saw multiple people stabbed. A dramatic clip shows the person, dressed in blue denim jeans and a black Nike hoodie, kneeling down on the suspect.
A total of five people were knifed on Thursday during a terrifying rampage at the iconic Dam Square in the Dutch capital. The mystery man carries on pinning the alleged attacker to the ground, who has his hands restrained behind his back, as a crowd of people in the area gather round. He has since been hailed as a ‘true hero’.
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Earlier today police revealed that the suspect used various knives in the attack but have yet to reveal any motive behind the shocking incident. An investigation is under way and the authorities added that the victims were chosen at random.
The attacker was eventually overpowered by pedestrians before the police arrived and arrested the man, witnessed stated. He was then taken to hospital with a leg injury.
The man who tackled the suspect spoke English and is thought to be British, according to local media reports. However, authorities have not confirmed the nationality of him but a spokesperson for the Amsterdam police commended his actions as “heroic”, reports De Telegraaf.
One witness reported hearing an “icy scream” before panic broke out in the area as dozens of officers, ambulances and an air ambulance were scrambled to the scene. A shop employee also said she suddenly heard a lot of shouting and screaming and that people started running in the direction of the incident.
The capital city’s mayor Mayor Femke Halsema withdre from a planned council debate due to the incident, according to local press. While Mayor Halsema, Chief Prosecutor René de Beukelaer and Police Chief Peter Holla all met soon after.
Amsterdam confirmed that two Americans, one Polish, one Belgian and one Dutch person were injured in the attack. A statement yesterday read: “On Thursday, March 27, five people were injured in a stabbing incident near the Sint Nicolaasstraat in the city center of Amsterdam. Police have arrested a male suspect. His identity is currently being investigated.
“Just before 3:30pm, emergency services received several reports of a stabbing incident. Officers quickly arrived on the scene and found five injured individuals at various locations in and around the Sint Nicolaasstraat.
“Multiple ambulances and a Mobile Medical Team responded. Large parts of Dam Square were cordoned off to allow emergency services to assist and conduct investigations.
“Among the victims are a 67-year-old woman and a 69-year-old man, both American nationals, a 26-year-old man from Poland, a 73-year-old woman from Belgium and a 19-year-old woman from Amsterdam. With the help of bystanders, officers apprehended a suspect in the Gravenstraat shortly after the incident.
“The suspect also sustained an injury to his leg and was transported to the hospital. The motive behind the attack is currently unclear and under investigation. Police are considering the possibility the suspect may have randomly targeted victims, but the exact motive remains unknown.”
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