London Home Office stabbing
| 2019 Home Office stabbing | |
|---|---|
 The headquarters of the Home Office | |
| Location | Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 665: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Date | Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 665: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Target | Government staff |
Attack type | Stabbing |
| Weapon | Knife |
| Deaths | 0 |
Non-fatal injuries | 1 |
A stabbing attack occurred on 15 August 2019 outside the Home Office in London, the British government's ministry of Home Affairs, or Interior ministry.[1]
Attack[edit]
At around 13:00 local time a government worker was stabbed in the face[2] and possibly torso[1] by a man waiting on Marsham Street in Central London, who had been loitering in the area[3] and walking "calmly".[2] The injured man went inside the Home Office to get help, at which point the building, an important Ministry, was put into lockdown[4] — pedestrians were encouraged to enter the building for their safety as this happened.[3]
The Metropolitan Police were called at 13:06,[2] and the London Ambulance Service at 13:11.[5] A specialist unit of armed police[6][7] responded to the scene, arriving within six minutes[6] and entering the building. Paramedics also responded, taking the injured man from the building.[4] For a time after the suspect was arrested, a cordon and police presence remained around the Home Office.[3]
People[edit]
The victim was a man in his 60s, and has been identified as a civil servant for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which is based in the Home Office building.[6] His injuries were initially treated by police and ambulance respondents as "life-threatening", but a later statement called them "non-life-threatening".[5] He was taken to a Major Trauma Centre.[5]
The suspect is a 29-year-old man. He was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm. In addition to the knife, he was carrying CS spray, and was arrested for possession of this,[4] and a ferret.[2] He was described as 6 ft tall and slim with long dark hair, dressed "scruffily".[5]
After the stabbing, the suspect is reported to have walked away from the scene "calmly".[2][3] He was arrested one street from the attack at St John's church in Smith Square,[6] the location of the European Parliament and European Commission buildings in London. The church was also closed to the public.[8]
Response[edit]
Several outlets noted that the attack came a day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a "controversial" plan to prevent knife attacks in the country,[9] which has been called "racist" and "patronising".[10]
The Home Secretary Priti Patel responded with sympathy for the victim in a tweet,[4] calling the attack "horrific",[1] whilst a Home Office official stated that the attack was "deeply concerning".[4]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 John, Tara. "UK Home Office on lockdown after stabbing". CNN. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Government worker stabbed in face outside Home Office". Evening Standard. 2019-08-15. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Home Office stabbing: Man in his 60s hurt after being attacked in central London". Sky News. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "Government employee stabbed outside Home Office". BBC. 2019-08-15. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Man carrying a ferret and CS spray arrested after stabbing outside Home Office building". ITV News. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Grierson, Jamie (2019-08-15). "Man stabbed outside Home Office confirmed as government worker". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
- ↑ "Suspect in custody after stabbing at British interior ministry". NBC News. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
- ↑ "London Home Office On Lockdown After Stabbing". HuffPost UK. 2019-08-15. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
- ↑ "Man stabbed at UK Home Office in London | DW | 15.08.2019". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
- ↑ "Stabbing in London triggers lockdown of UK Home Office". Washington Examiner. 2019-08-15. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
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