A 14-year-old boy has died following multiple stabbings in east London as a sword-wielding suspect remains in custody after being tasered and arrested on suspicion of murder.
Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell, of the Metropolitan Police, said four other people were injured in the attack in Hainault, while Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe said the suspect is in hospital after sustaining injuries when his van hit a house.
Two Met officers suffered wounds that require surgery, with Mr Bell describing their injuries as “significant” but not life-threatening, and injuries sustained by two members of the public are also not deemed to be life-threatening.
The officer said he did not believe it was a targeted attack, and it is not believed to be terror-related.
A 36-year-old man was tasered and arrested at the scene but has not yet been interviewed because of his injuries, the Met said.
Dramatic footage obtained by the PA news agency captured the suspect being cornered and tasered by officers on a residential driveway.
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.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said the King’s “thoughts and prayers are with all those affected” by the “horrific” stabbings, adding: “In particular, the family of the young victim who has lost his life.”
The force was initially called to reports of a vehicle being driven into a house.
Speaking at a press conference near the scene, Mr Bell said: “You will be aware that a serious incident occurred here at this location this morning.
“Police and ambulance services were called and deployed to a number of casualties.
“It is with great sadness that I confirm one of those injured in the incident, a 14-year-old boy, has died from their injuries.
“He was taken to hospital after being stabbed and sadly died a short while after.
“The child’s family are being supported firstly by my local officers and now with some specialist officers.”
Mr Bell refused to be drawn on claims the suspect had been previously arrested.
He said: “I’m not going to be commenting on any of those questions other than the information that I’ve released. We will share that information when we feel it’s appropriate and when we know the answers.”
A neighbour from nearby Laing Close, who witnessed the attacks, told the PA news agency he could “not stop envisioning the boy’s face”.
James Fernando, 39, said the suspect had asked one of his neighbours to “take the telephone from him to tell whoever was on the phone his location”.
He told PA: “Within two seconds after that she’s realised something isn’t right, started running and he’s pulled a samurai sword from the back of his trouser.
“She’s shouted to the other neighbour – a Nigerian boy who was on his way to school.
“As he’s turned around, he’s struck him on the face… he was dead on the spot.
“It’s quite traumatising now. I can’t stop envisioning the boy’s face.”
Speaking about what he saw of the suspect, Mr Fernando said: “He was running around, still after the police officers came, with the sword in his hand looking for victims.”
Another witness, who asked not to be named, told PA he heard shrieks and screams following the incident.
He said he saw a man dressed in yellow jumping over fences from his back window and heard someone shout “He’s got a massive knife”.
His words follow footage shared on social media of a man in the area dressed in a yellow hooded jumper brandishing a large knife in his right hand.
Other footage showed the suspect being chased by police as an officer is heard shouting “Lock your doors” as the sword-wielding man entered residential gardens.
Officers could be heard yelling “Come here”, “Come this way” and “Drop the sword” at the suspect, who could be seen climbing on top of an outbuilding and dropping into a garden.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described the incident as “shocking”, adding: “Such violence has no place on our streets”.
Footage seen by PA shows a man in a yellow jumper chasing after an ambulance while holding a sword as a body lies motionless on the ground.
The home security video shows an ambulance parked next to the body lying on the road in Laing Close before the ambulance quickly drives away from the scene and the man runs after it, shouting.
In another video clip, sent by an anonymous resident, a police car arrives before the man verbally confronts the police and shouts “Is there anybody here who believes in God?” while standing next to the motionless body.
A voice is heard shouting “Drop the sword” before a police officer approaches the man and sprays a substance in his direction before he retreats.