Stoke Newington stabbing: Suspect pinned down by hero bystanders after man knifed in daylight attack in north London

Luke O'Reilly12 June 2020
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A man has been rushed to hospital after he was stabbed in broad daylight on Stoke Newington High Street.

Witnesses at the scene say members of the public held the suspect to the ground before he was arrested by Met Police.

The victim, a man in his 50s, remains in hospital. He is reportedly Jewish. The incident is not being treated as terror-related.

Hackney Police said in a statement: "At 10:54hrs on Friday, 12 June, police were called to reports of a male being restrained in Stoke Newington High Street, N16.

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"Officers and London Ambulance Service attended. A man, aged in his fifties, was found suffering stab wounds."

Police added: "Another man, aged in his forties, had been restrained on the floor by members of the public. A man aged in his forties, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. He has been taken to hospital after suffering what is believed to be minor head injuries.

"The victim, aged in his fifties, has also been taken to hospital. We await further updates on his condition. We are not treating this as terror-related."

Construction site manager Lazar Friedlander and his brother Matt ran towards the alleged attacker and restrained him after hearing a “serious scream”.

He said: “We ran outside, I saw a Jewish man covered in blood. I’m Jewish myself, and I can see another Jewish man shouting ‘hold him, catch him, he’s got a knife! Stabbing!’

“There were a couple of other people trying to grab him. Me and my brother managed to force him down and put his hands behind his back until the police came.”

“I wouldn’t call myself a hero. You act in the heat of the moment,” added Mr Friedlander, who lives locally.

The suspect, a man in his forties said to be of Asian descent, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. He was taken to hospital with minor head injuries.

Community Security Trust (CST), a British charity concerned with the security of Jewish people, has said that there is no current assessment on whether the attack was or was not anti-semitic.

Officers said the incident was not being treated as terror-related but some onlookers, including Mr Friedlander, believed he may have been targeted because of his religion.

“Why he stabbed the Jewish man? I reckon it was a hate crime,” Mr Friedlander said.

He added that he tried to speak to the assailant after pinning him down but “he just blanked me and wouldn’t say anything”.

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