Several people were slashed after a man with a machete went on a rampage around Anfield.
Multiple streets in Anfield were sealed on Thursday, August 11, after Merseyside Police received reports of a man shouting at people and carrying a machete on Arkles Lane just after 5.30pm. The man went on to slash several victims on Utting Avenue and Ince Avenue before being detained by officers in Stanley Park.
The incident left people in the area shaken and terrified, with some saying they came home and locked their doors after they found out what happened.
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Here is everything we know so far about the machete rampage in Anfield.
What happened?
Police received their first call at 5.30pm from a member of the public, saying they saw a man with a machete walking along Priory Road and Utting Avenue shouting at people. From here The ECHO is aware of at least two incidents where the man attacked people with the weapon.
The first incident happened at the Utting Avenue bus stop, near the junction of Priory Road, where an eyewitness saw a man get "hit on the back with the wrong end" of the weapon. The man was then videoed walking towards Ince Avenue swinging the machete while walking with purpose.
The man was then reportedly tackled by two men, who were unable to stop him. An eyewitness then saw a second attack on a woman at a house on Ince Avenue.
They said: "He went into this house about 30 seconds later a woman walked out, there was blood everywhere and she was crying. He then booted her out the house so me and two other lads grabbed her and pulled her across the road.
“There was a massive pool of blood outside the house and she had injuries to her head and a bad laceration to her arm."
From there, the man is believed to have jumped over a fence in the back garden and into Anfield Cemetery. By this point armed officers from Merseyside Police were at the scene and were videoed looking into the house with guns pointed towards the door.
The machete was then dumped in Anfield Cemetery, along with a pair of trousers with a belt. It's then believed the man exited the cemetery at Priory Road.
A cordon was put in place by police outside the entrance to the cemetery, where an SUV had it's boot open and visible damage to the passenger side. The suspected knifeman was detained by Merseyside Police in Stanley Park, a short distance away from there.
How many people were injured?
Several people were rushed to hospital, where they’re being treated for their injuries. While police were unable to confirm how many people were injured or their ages and gender, but did say none of the victims are believed to have sustained life-threatening injuries.
An update on the total number of people injured is expected on Friday.
Why did the incident happen?
Merseyside Police said they are in the very early stages of their investigation, but confirmed the incident is not terror related. The man arrested, who is from Anfield, is believed to have mental health issues.
What have police said?
Detective Chief Inspector Cath Cummings said: “This incident will have been frightening for those assaulted as well as those who witnessed it, and we will provide them with our full support. I understand that the circumstances will be frightening too for the wider community in Anfield.
“Thankfully, specialist officers attended swiftly, arrested a suspect and brought an end to the incident and there is no ongoing threat to the public. While we do not believe anyone else was responsible, extra officers will be deployed on high visibility patrols in the Anfield area in the coming days to reassure the community.”
Det Chief Insp Cummings added: “Incidents such as this illustrate all too clearly the dangers knives and bladed weapons can pose. That is why we carry out operations all year round to take them off our streets, with warrants, land searches and stop checks enabling us to seize such weapons and take them out of the hands of criminals.
“No-one should fall victim to knife crime, and we welcome any information from the public on where they are being stored and who is carrying them so that we can protect the communities of Merseyside. I would urge anyone thinking about carrying a knife to think again, and spare yourself and others the risk of serious injury, and save yourself time in police custody.
“I would urge anyone who witnessed any part of this incident, or has camera phone, CCTV or dashcam footage, to contact police.”
If you can help, DM @MerPolCC, or message ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’ on Facebook quoting reference 777 of 11 August. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or their online form at https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously.
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