Green Party leader Zack Polanski has apologised for “sharing a tweet in haste” which had accused police officers of violently kicking the Golders Green stabbing suspect in the head after he had been incapacitated.
Mr Polanski on Friday faced criticism from the chief of the Met Police for reposting another user’s social media post.
The original post on X had accused the officers of “repeatedly and violently kicking a mentally ill man in the head” when he was already incapacitated from being tasered.
Sir Mark Rowley said in a letter to the Green leader he was “disappointed”, adding the post was “inaccurate and misinformed”.
Sir Keir Starmer branded Mr Polanski “disgraceful” and “not fit to lead any political party” for reposting the criticism of police officers.
The Green Party initially said its leader “doesn’t know the full picture and knows it was a very difficult situation for the authorities”, in response to the letter from the Met commissioner.
In a statement released on Friday afternoon, Mr Polanski went further and offered his apologies.
He said: “Everyone in leadership has a responsibility for lowering the temperature at a time of such tension, and I apologise for sharing a tweet in haste.
“Police responses to emergency situations such as these do need later reflection in the right forums, but I accept that social media is not the appropriate channel for doing so.
“I have invited Mark Rowley to meet with me to discuss the police response and the wider issues raised in his letter.”
In an interview for BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, recorded before Mr Polanski’s apology, the Prime Minister said: “When I then see Zack Polanski come out and retweet or support a criticism of that, I think it’s disgraceful.”
Defending the actions of the police, Sir Keir added: “You have to make a decision in that split moment according to the situation as you understand it to be.
“For politicians to wade in, as Zack Polanski did, is disgraceful. He’s not fit to lead any political party.”
The UK terrorism threat level was raised to “severe” by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, meaning a terror attack is “highly likely”, after two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green on Wednesday.
Alleged attacker Essa Suleiman, 45, is accused of trying to kill Shloime Rand, 34, and Norman Shine, 76, during a knife rampage through the streets of the north London suburb.
He appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday morning and was remanded in custody.
Met commissioner Sir Mark had earlier explained the police officers involved in the incident were “shaken” following the intervention.
He added: “Unless you’ve been in that moment where you’re scared stiff and you’re confronting somebody so dangerous, it’s hard to put yourself in that situation.
“They’re desperately concerned about stunning him and sort of neutralising him.”
The Metropolitan Police confirmed it had received a letter from Mr Polanski.
A spokesperson said a meeting with the Green leader would take place after the local elections.
