How Hainault sword horror unfolded as attacker rammed van into house before ‘killing boy’ and fleeing on garage roofs
THE Hainault sword horror started when the attacker rammed a van into a house – before allegedly killing a teen boy.
Five people including the 14-year-old schoolboy and two cops were knifed in the terrifying rampage.
The suspect slashed away at random after crashing into a home near Hainault Tube station on the border between Essex and London.
He had been seen ducking in front gardens before unleashing the terrifying rampage just before 7am.
The 36-year-old then fled the scene over garage rooftops – before cops Tasered and arrested him 22 minutes after the first 999 call.
Locals told how the bloodied attacker brandished a huge sword as he prowled the streets shouting “Do you believe in God?”.
Shouts of “Get down” were heard as cops swarmed the streets near the Underground stop.
Paramedics battled to save the man’s five victims while cops closed the station and put up a huge cordon.
A 14-year-old boy was sadly killed in the horror, Scotland Yard confirmed this afternoon.
Two brave police officers were seriously injured in the line of duty and two members of the public remain in hospital.
Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe said: “Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of the 14-year-old boy who very sadly died at the scene.
“We will be there to provide every possible support to them and ensure we get them the answers they need.
“We are also thinking of the two other members of public who were injured, as well as brave officers stabbed during the incident.
“The 36-year-old man arrested at the scene is currently in hospital, having suffered injuries when his van collided with a building.
“He has been arrested on suspicion of murder. At this time, given his injuries, we have been unable to interview him.”
Rolfe added Scotland Yard had no record of prior contact with the suspect.
But she said cops are “satisfied there is no threat to the wider community” now the man is in custody.
The Met said officers were called around 7am to reports a vehicle had been driven into a house in the Thurlow Gardens area.
People were reportedly stabbed at the property before the suspect went on to attack random members of the public and two cops.
One resident said she saw a body on the ground as she hid by her window while a man wielding a sword shouted “do you believe in God?” outside her house.
The local from Laing Close, who does not wish to be named, said she saw a man standing outside her home next to a body and wielding a sword in front of two unarmed police and an ambulance.
“He was wielding his sword trying to attack the police but then they sprayed him and he ran away,” she said.
“He was shouting at the police ‘do you believe in God?’, also at the ambulance.
“We were very scared and trying to hide and not show ourselves through the window, because he was standing right next to our house and he could have seen us if he looked up.
“We were trying to hide but also at the same time taking video of him attacking the police, and of the body on the floor, so, yeah, we were very scared and we didn’t know what to do.”
Uni student Evelina Deliu, 20, told The Sun: “When I woke up, I looked out of my window. “The police were shouting ‘get down, get down’.
“They were screaming at him to stop resisting. It took six or seven people to get him down, and a lady (police officer) too.
“He was on the ground right afterwards. They were trying to tie him up and put him in handcuffs.
“He was moving his legs and trying to get out. They had to carry him to the car… because he was tied up he had to be carried.
“The police started picking things up and putting them in evidence bags. There wasn’t much emotion on his face.
“I think he was trying to run away but got caught here.”
Another local said he saw a man stood by his front door covered in blood as he made his way to the Tube.
Peter Rollison said: “I live in Laing Close and made my way to Hainault Station this morning.
“There were a lot of police cars around the corner from me. I stopped from a distance to look at all the commotion, then continued with my journey.
“There was a man in his home with his door open, his hand and arm covered in blood.
“I got to the station and TFL staff were talking and clearly shaken. They said a man was running around with a sword.
“As I left them I heard them mention someone had been stabbed in the neck.
“I made my way back home as I couldn’t leave my family. I had to ask permission to get to my home as it was part of a cornered off area.
“There were helicopters in the area for quite a while.”
A fourth local said: “I heard shouting, I heard shrieking – I thought ‘who would be shrieking at this time in the morning?’
“The shrieking sounded like the police – you know when they are ordering someone to stop or to get on their knees or something – it was like that.
“It was like ‘stop where you are, put that down, put that down’ – that kind of thing.
“I looked out the back window because the noise was coming from back there, I saw a bloke dressed in yellow jumping over some fences … then he went down an alley like he was going back onto the street again.
“I saw a policeman and policewoman – normal coppers with the short-sleeved shirts – who chased after him and they were shouting for him to put it down.”
PM Rishi Sunak blasted the crimes and said this kind of “violence has no place on our streets”.
He added: “This is a shocking incident. My thoughts are with those affected and their families.
“I’d like to thank the emergency services for their ongoing response, and pay tribute to the extraordinary bravery shown by police on the scene.
“Such violence has no place on our streets.”
Buckingham Palace said: “Following the horrific scenes in Hainault this morning, The King has asked to be kept fully informed as details of the incident become clearer.
“His thoughts and prayers are with all those affected – in particular, the family of the young victim who has lost his life.
“He salutes the courage of the emergency services who helped contain the situation.”