Female Pc facing ‘life-changing’ injuries after two officers stabbed by ‘frenzied individual’

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Speaking at Scotland Yard on Friday morning, Sir Mark said that both officers are now in a stable condition.

He said the female officer challenged the man after suspecting him of carrying a knife, and he stabbed her in the arm before attempting to flee.

“Her colleague chases down the offender, catches him – a tussle ensues – that officer is stabbed three times in the neck and once in the chest,” Sir Mark told reporters.

“He’s very seriously injured – other colleagues join the scene.

“There’s a violent struggle with a fairly frenzied individual – tasersed, PAVA spray is and then an officer uses his baton – eventually the offender is subdued and arrested. The two officers were rushed to hospital.”

He added: “We remain concerned that the injuries to the young woman officer’s arm may still be quite serious and may potentially be life-changing but that’s yet to be worked through.”

Sir Mark credited the officers for being “immensely brave”.

He said: “It’s a reminder to me that with all the calls for reform in the Metropolitan Police – which are absolutely necessary – we should never forget that we’ve got thousands of dedicated men and women going out every day who are prepared to be brave for Londoners.”

The suspect was taken to hospital for treatment and is now being held in custody.

Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy said the “terrible event” is not thought to be linked to terrorism or the death of the Queen.

On Friday morning, crime scene investigators could be seen working within the police cordon outside a Shake Shack burger restaurant, located opposite the M&M’s World shop in Leicester Square.

The cordon meant nearby West End theaters such as the Lyric were inaccessible on Friday morning, and police vans parked at Piccadilly Circus blocked motorists from driving down Shaftesbury Avenue.

Guests at the nearby Thistle Trafalgar Square hotel on Whitcomb Street were told by police they would be unable to return to their rooms on Friday if they ventured beyond the cordon.

Taxi driver Youssef Boucetta, 27, witnessing the incident as he was heading through central London on his way to pick up a fare at Heathrow Airport.

He described how six officers struggled to tackle the suspect, who was eventually restrained when a passer by threw a bicycle at him.

Mr Boucetta said: “I was there when the stabbings happened. It was very disturbing, especially seeing the female officer had been stabbed.

“I was just out on a job heading to pick someone up at Heathrow airport. First of all I saw this female officer appeared from around the corner with blood on her arm.

“She was screaming ‘I’ve been stabbed, I’ve been stabbed’, so I got out of my car with my jacket quickly and wrapped it around her. Then these two male officers came around the corner.

“More police officers appeared from McDonald’s. They surrounded the guy and Tasered him like five times.”

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