Two men have been hailed as heroes after driving at a suspected terrorist armed with a knife in Golders Green, north London, and alerting a mother with her baby to flee. Isaac Cohen, 41, and Ido Birman, 38, raised the alarm and drove at the attacker, who was seen lunging at people seemingly at random in the suburb.
Heroic Actions Caught on CCTV
CCTV footage shows the knifeman running at Jewish people walking in the area. One man spots him and begins sprinting, screaming for help. Ido Birman described the harrowing scene: 'We were in the car, we saw him running with a knife – it was terrible. We screamed out of the car and started honking the horn. We told a woman and baby to run – and we saved her. It was very frightening.'
The father of the baby confirmed the bravery: 'They shouted at my wife to get back inside with my baby. He saved their lives. She ran back into the house. They were heroes.'
Two Stabbed in Confirmed Terror Attack
Two men, aged 76 and 34, were stabbed in the attack, which has been formally declared a terrorist incident by the Metropolitan Police. A shocking video shows the first victim appearing to put on his skullcap just seconds before the suspect lunges at him with what appears to be a blade. There is no lead-up or words exchanged before the attack, which occurred in Highfield Avenue at around 11.15am.
Shortly after the stabbing, the attacker is confronted by a member of Shomrim, a Jewish volunteer neighbourhood watch group, who stares down the suspect. A source told Metro that the alleged attacker had ID on him with a 'Muslim name'.
Police Commissioner Praises Officers and Community
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley praised officers and the community for confronting the suspect, who was believed to be carrying an explosive. Speaking at the scene amid heckles of 'resign' and 'shame on you', Sir Mark said: 'I also want to pay tribute to my officers, who were on the scene within a few minutes, and whose actions undoubtedly prevented further injury and saved lives. Before coming here today, I met with them. They’re nothing short of extraordinary. They confronted a man they believed to be a terrorist, who refused to show his hands, who was violent and continued to pose a clear threat. These were not armed officers, and they feared that he was carrying an explosive device. Using only their training, their courage and their tasers, they managed to detain him, whilst he continues to try and attack and stab them. They will tell you they were simply doing their jobs but without their bravery, I dread to think what the outcome would have been.'
He also recognised the work of voluntary first responders from the community, including Shomrim.
Suspect Had History of Violence and Mental Health Issues
The suspected Golders Green knifeman had 'a history of serious violence and mental health issues', the Metropolitan Police Commissioner said. A pizza shop worker on Golders Green Road helped an elderly stab victim after seeing him bleeding from his neck. Tariq Aziz, who works at Slice pizza takeaway, said: 'He came to our shop and then I gave him a tissue and helped him, and then police came suddenly and arrest the guy.' He added that the suspect 'wasn’t running away' after the attack and that when police arrived, he pointed out the suspect, who was 'just walking down there with a knife'. Aziz said he believed the victim was stabbed twice.
Terror Investigation Underway
Head of Counter Terrorism Policing Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor confirmed the attack has been formally declared a terrorist incident. He said: 'This has now formally been declared a terrorist incident. Our highly specialised teams of officers are working with the Metropolitan Police to progress this investigation quickly and establish exactly what has happened. We’re also working with our partners in the security services to ensure we have a full intelligence picture, and one of the lines of inquiry is whether this attack was deliberately targeting the Jewish community in London.'
