A young female police officer is being treated for potentially life-changing injuries after she was stabbed while tackling a knifeman. A male officer was also knifed three times in the neck and once in the chest during the attack in the Leicester Square in London.
Doctors are hopeful he will make a full recovery, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has said. The pair spotted the armed man close near the theatre district earlier today (September 16), according to the Mirror.
He was tasered and wrestled to the ground, however the two officers both sustained stab wounds during the struggle. A video of the incident shows one officer having his bloodied arm wrapped in a bandage by colleagues.
Officers can also be heard telling control via their radios that an officer has been stabbed and requires urgent medical assistance. The clip also shows a man lying face and barefoot on the ground with officers holding him, with debris at the scene this morning including a man's single slider left on the ground.
Hotel worker Arunas Ambrulevius told the media: “The police had got the knife out of his hand. It fell on the ground but then he grabbed it and went at them. One of them had an arm injury, the other looked a lot less serious."
Delivery driver Rhys Vaus, 27, said he was in the back of his lorry when police swarmed the area. He said: "There was a bouncer who saw what happened, said it was gruesome, nasty, but he has gone home now, he was on the night shift.
"I was in my lorry doing a frozen delivery and the Old Bill came from everywhere. They were running, flying down the road. Normally at that time of the morning there is no one around.
"I was in the back of the lorry, I could hear sirens, saw one car, two cars go past. I looked out the back and saw a copper going down the back of the road.
"I didn't actually see the stabbing I think it was on one of the side streets."
Rhys's lorry was stuck in the cordon and he said it's unlikely he'll be able to save the food inside. He added: "I want to do the delivery but I can't get back to the lorry, I've still got about 18 drops in there, about £8,000 worth of food.
"I called the office and they have written it off today."
Coffee shop manager Soare Deragos, 38, from Caffè Concerto told MyLondon : "It feels unsafe but what can we do. The police came fast and told us to stay inside and not step out.
"I was worried for them and not for me. It should not happen especially for the police.
"This country needs to have a little bit more protection for the police. The police here have to warn you too much until it is too late."
And a builder told reporters: "There were police everywhere, I thought there had been a terror incident. I saw a guy being detained and two police on the ground. There looked like a lot of blood and bad injuries."
Mayor Sadiq Khan has revealed the stabbings of the police officers are not terror related and the officers are not in a life threatening condition. A man has been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and assaulting an emergency worker.
He was taken to hospital after a Taser was deployed to arrest the suspect. A Met Police spokeswoman told the Mirror: "On Friday, 16 September at around 06:00hrs police encountered a male with a knife in the area of Leicester Square.
"Two officers received stab wounds and are currently being treated in hospital. We await further updates on their conditions.
"Taser was deployed and male was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and assaulting an emergency worker. He was taken to a hospital for treatment where he remains at this time.
"Enquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident are ongoing." London's mayor Sadiq Khan said: "This attack on serving police officers in Soho overnight is utterly appalling.
"These brave officers were doing their duty and assisting the public at this momentous time for our country. My thoughts and prayers are with them, their loved ones and police colleagues following this disgraceful attack.
"Our police officers run towards danger to protect others and keep us safe and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude. I have spoken with the new Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley about this awful incident and remain in close contact.
"Attacks against the police will not be tolerated and any perpetrators will be caught and prosecuted. I urge anyone with information to come forward to ensure the perpetrator of this disgusting attack feels the full force of the law."
London's mayor Sadiq Khan said: "This attack on serving police officers in Soho overnight is utterly appalling. These brave officers were doing their duty and assisting the public at this momentous time for our country.
"My thoughts and prayers are with them, their loved ones and police colleagues following this disgraceful attack. Our police officers run towards danger to protect others and keep us safe and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude.
"I have spoken with the new Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley about this awful incident and remain in close contact. Attacks against the police will not be tolerated and any perpetrators will be caught and prosecuted.
"I urge anyone with information to come forward to ensure the perpetrator of this disgusting attack feels the full force of the law. An attack on an officer is an attack on all of us."
Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy called the stabbing of two police officers in central London "a terrible event". He said the attack in the Leicester Square area is not thought to be linked to terrorism, or the death of the Queen.
Mr Cundy said: "It is a terrible event. We do not believe it to be terror-related, and equally we do not believe it at this time to be related to the events that have been occurring this week."
The officers are in hospital after suffering "significant" stab wounds and a man has been arrested.
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