Police have arrested a Sudanese male on suspicion of attempted murder after what has been called an attempted beheading on the streets of Belfast.
UPDATE 13:05 — Police say suspect Sudanese, not Somalian
The PSNI were cagey in their earlier statement when they called their suspect merely a man “believed to be Somalian”. This caution seems to have been justified as they’ve now rectified that, saying in a new statement that’s just been published that they can “confirm that the man in custody is Sudanese and not Somalian, as initially believed”. The force cited a “fast-time investigation” and said further updates would follow.
There was also a minor update on the victim, with the police saying they confirmed “that the injured man remains in a serious condition in hospital”. They also noted “inaccurate online posts regarding the victim’s condition”, but without any further context.
We’ll keep the updates coming as we get them.
The original story continues below
The man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder over a brutal attack in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in the United Kingdom on Monday night has been revealed to be a “believed to be Somalian” in his 30s, police said. An update from the Police Service of Northern Ireland on Tuesday morning said the man had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder on Kinnaird Avenue, north Belfast, around 22:30.
An injured man, unidentified other than to say he is in his 40s, was transported to hospital. He is in serious condition and police say he has received “significant injuries to his face, neck and back”.
The PSNI declared a critical incident after the attack and a spokesman said an investigation is underway to determine a motive. They said: “This brutal attack will have sent shockwaves through the community causing real concern. I want to reassure the local community that we are treating this attack with the utmost seriousness. Our investigation is continuing at pace. Community safety is our priority and we are currently engaging with local representatives and residents to provide reassurance and support.
“Our officers were on the scene within minutes and we wish to acknowledge the members of the public who strived to save the man from further attack. Their willingness to step forward to help another person shows incredible bravery and community spirit.”
Police said they were aware of the footage of the attack that had been published on social media and, as is now normal for such violent attacks in the United Kingdom, the force told the public not to circulate it, given doing so “may impact the ongoing investigation”.
The footage, seen by Breitbart News but which is too graphic to reproduce, shows a man apparently armed with a knife holding another man to the ground while shouting and repeatedly attacking his neck. Unseen members of the public shout at the knifeman to stop the attack while encouraging others to rush to the attacked man’s aid.
One bystander shouts “get off him you fucking rat… he’s cutting him, he’s cutting him”. A second unseen man calls out in turn: “he’s trying to cut his head off, isn’t he. Hurry up. He’s slicing his head up here, hurry up”. Moments later, a further bystander armed with an Irish hurling stick runs at the knifeman and begins beating him around the head, and seconds later a police officer arrives.
As previously reported, a knife was said to have been recovered at the scene.
The rapid announcement by PSNI that they believe their suspect to be a Somalian male follows Reform UK leader Nigel Farage calling on police to be transparent with what they know about the attack as soon as possible. Following Farage’s previous criticism of English police forces, that being secretive and leaving an information vacuum causes unrest, he said: “What happened in Belfast last night is horrific. The authorities must reveal the identity and status of the attacker immediately. The public are entitled to the truth.”