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Man arrested for attempted murder after rabbi stabbed in Stoke Newington | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Witnesses restrain alleged attacker after stabbing of 50-year-old Alter Yaakov Schlesinger | |
A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after the stabbing of a rabbi near a bank in north London. | |
The victim, who was attacked in the street shortly before 11am on Friday, was taken to a major trauma centre. | |
Members of the public wrestled a man in his 40s to the floor on Stoke Newington High Street, keeping him pinned down until police arrived at the scene. | Members of the public wrestled a man in his 40s to the floor on Stoke Newington High Street, keeping him pinned down until police arrived at the scene. |
The suspect was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. He was first taken to hospital for a minor head injury but later discharged and taken to an east London police station. | The suspect was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. He was first taken to hospital for a minor head injury but later discharged and taken to an east London police station. |
The victim was named as Rabbi Alter Yaakov Schlesinger by the European Jewish Congress. The 50-year-old is a rabbi at the Satmar Yeshiva in Stamford Hill, according to the Jewish Chronicle. His condition is not life-threatening, the Metropolitan police said. | |
Officers are appealing for witnesses to come forward and said said they were maintaining an open mind about the motive for the attack. A knife was recovered at the scene. | |
DS James Tipple, from Hackney CID, said: “The victim was stabbed in broad daylight as he went about his business. He suffered multiple stab wounds in what was a horrific incident and will undoubtedly stay with him for a long time to come. | DS James Tipple, from Hackney CID, said: “The victim was stabbed in broad daylight as he went about his business. He suffered multiple stab wounds in what was a horrific incident and will undoubtedly stay with him for a long time to come. |
“We’re conducting extensive inquiries into this attack and have been gathering evidence. However, I know many people saw this attack and, if anyone has any footage or information about this incident, please come forward and tell us what you know.” | |
Construction site manager Lazar Friedlander and his brother Matt ran towards the alleged attacker and restrained him after hearing a “serious scream”. | Construction site manager Lazar Friedlander and his brother Matt ran towards the alleged attacker and restrained him after hearing a “serious scream”. |
He told the PA news agency: “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.” | “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 Friedlander, who lives locally. | “I wouldn’t call myself a hero. You act in the heat of the moment,” added Friedlander, who lives locally. |
A witness told the Guardian that the victim was from the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, and was sitting up and conscious after the attack. Police have not at this stage said the attack was a hate crime, or linked it to antisemitism. | |
Evan Schiff, who lives on Stoke Newington High Street, said he came out of a shop to find a man pinned to the floor by men wearing hard hats and hi-vis vests. | Evan Schiff, who lives on Stoke Newington High Street, said he came out of a shop to find a man pinned to the floor by men wearing hard hats and hi-vis vests. |
“The workers were tackling the suspect and the victim was stumbling in the road,” he said. “Luckily, and hopefully, I think he’ll be OK. When the ambulance came, they took the victim into a cafe to sit him down and care for him. When I left the scene he was sitting up and conscious. It is so, so awful.” | |
The Community Security Trust, a charity helping Jews in the UK with security and tackling antisemitism, tweeted that it was “aware of reports that a Jewish man has been stabbed in Stoke Newington, north London. We are in contact with police, who are investigating the incident.” | |
It added: “There is no current assessment that this was, or was not, antisemitic.” | It added: “There is no current assessment that this was, or was not, antisemitic.” |
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, tweeted: “My thoughts are with the victim of this horrible attack and the whole community in Stoke Newington. Thank you to those members of the public who ran to help.” |