Update: The U.K.’s Metropolitan Police Service has identified the dead suspect as Usman Khan, 28, a convicted terrorist released from prison in 2018. Our latest story is here.
Passersby in London, U.K. can be seen in a video pinning down a man shortly after a stabbing — later deemed terror-related — on or near London Bridge Friday afternoon.
The crowd of people seem to pin down the man and pull the knife away from him before police were able to surround him.
The video, posted to Twitter on the page Hand Luggage Only, shows several people surrounding the man, whose name is not yet known.
One man runs away from the crowd with a knife in his hand, which seemingly belonged to the suspect, just as police arrive.
Three police officers are seen pushing the members of the public away from the suspect. He is then shot dead.
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After the shots, bystanders at the popular tourist spot can be heard yelling, while some try to usher others away from the area.
One eyewitness told The Guardian that he saw the incident unfold from across the street.
“I could see five or six people in a bundle, it looked like one of them had a makeshift weapon,” he said. “Then all of a sudden everyone scattered and the police were there, I think it was three police officers.”
The tweet showing the video, posted online just before 10 a.m. ET, reads: “Please stay away from #LondonBridge! I just saw a man with a knife being shot in the head by police. Please be careful London!”
The Twitter user posted soon after saying they were “safe,” but the incident did unfold in front of them.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan commended members of the public who demonstrated “breath-taking heroism” in attempting to disarm the suspect.
“What’s remarkable about the images we’ve seen is the breath-taking heroism of members of the public who literally ran towards danger not knowing what confronted them,” Khan told reporters.
Several other videos and photographs on Twitter showed several police cars on the bridge. A white cargo truck was pictured jackknifed across several traffic lanes on the bridge. In one video, three officers are on the bridge with guns drawn.
At a press conference hours later, Scotland Yard declared it a terror incident.
“We believe the device strapped to the body of the suspect was a hoax explosive device,” a spokesperson for the force added.
The London Ambulance Service also declared it a “major incident,” saying a number of crews are on scene. Transportation officials said London Bridge Station is closed due to an “emergency services incident.”
— With files from Global News reporter Rachael D’more Reuters
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