A 30-year-old man has been apprehended on suspicion of causing serious bodily harm following a knife attack that left five individuals injured in Croydon, South London.
Authorities responded to reports of a stabbing on Marlowe Way in Beddington, close to a Sainsbury’s and an Argos warehouse, around 10:15 GMT.
The London Ambulance Service (LAS) reported that the injured parties were transported to hospitals, with one being taken to a major trauma center. According to the Metropolitan Police, it appears that all those involved were acquainted with each other.
One victim, Joseph Denton, 29, who sustained injuries while trying to fend off the assailant, described the attack saying, “He was stabbing at me like a serial killer.”
Denton recounted, “He didn’t utter a word. It felt like he was trying to kill me, and I had never encountered him before.”
“He stabbed two individuals in the chest and inflicted a significant wound on another’s arm. I believe a fourth person was struck in the side as well.”
Hailing from Rayleigh, Essex, Denton explained, “I attempted to secure the door, but when it was impossible, I felt compelled to confront him and engage him in a struggle.”
“I managed to wrestle him to the ground and decided to use a fire extinguisher to subdue him, which seemed to help calm the situation.”
“As he lay on the floor, others rushed in, and we continued to attack him until he finally fled.”
“I didn’t really have any other option, to be honest.”
When asked about the knife, Denton described it as “literally the size of my face. It resembled a Rambo knife, about eight inches long, adorned with jagged edges.”
A reporter from the BBC present at the scene noted a significant emergency services response, including several ambulances, fire engines, and helicopters.
An LAS representative indicated that the victims included one man in his 50s, two in their 30s, and two in their 20s.
“We dispatched multiple resources to the location, comprising ambulance crews, a paramedic in a rapid-response vehicle, an incident response officer, members of our Tactical Response Unit, and London’s Air Ambulance.”
“Our teams treated five individuals at the scene before transferring one to a major trauma center in London and the other four to different hospitals.”
The Metropolitan Police noted that the suspect was also taken into custody on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon.
He was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, as confirmed by the police.
Chief Superintendent Andy Brittain stated, “Officers acted swiftly and apprehended the suspect within an hour. An investigation is currently underway.”
“Based on our preliminary findings, we believe that all the individuals involved were known to each other. Thus, we do not consider there to be any broader threat to the public.”
