UK Police Release 1 Of 2 Men Arrested Over Train Stabbings And Laud ‘Heroic’ Rail Worker
LONDON (AP) — One of two men has been arrested in connection with an incident, British police said Sunday. mass knife attack The suspect who caused fear and panic on a London-bound train the day before has been released without charge and the life of a “hero” member of railway staff remains in danger.
The only remaining suspect is a 32-year-old British man who is being held on suspicion of attempted murder, police said on Sunday evening. A second man, who was initially arrested as a suspect, was released without charge after it was determined the 35-year-old was not involved.
Police said they were not treating the stabbing as an act of terrorism and were confident they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the attack. They did not disclose a possible motive or the type of knife used.
Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Cundy, of British Transport Police, said: “Our investigation is progressing rapidly and we are confident that we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.”
“As expected, specialist detectives are investigating the background of the suspect we have in custody and the events leading up to the attack,” he added.
Six people remained in hospitals on Sunday, one of whom had life-threatening injuries. Police said he was an employee of train operator London North Eastern Railway (LNER), which operates East Coast Mainline services in England.
“The actions of railway staff monitoring CCTV from the train were heroic and undoubtedly saved people’s lives,” Cundy said.
The other five people injured in the attack on Saturday evening were discharged from hospitals.
The two men were arrested eight minutes after the first emergency call was made from the train at 7.42pm on Saturday. scenes of panic and chaosMany are running between carriages, and some are seeking safety in the toilets.
Police said the suspect was from Peterborough and had boarded the train from the town’s station just minutes before it was forced to an emergency stop in Huntingdon, a market town about 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of London.
The attack took place as the train from Doncaster in northern England to London’s King’s Cross station had just left Peterborough at 6.25pm, about halfway through its two-hour journey.
Bloodied and confused passengers rushed out of the train as dozens of police, some armed, waited in Huntingdon. A knife was seized by the police teams who arrived at the scene.
During the immediate response to the attack, police said “Plato” was initiated, the national code word used by police and emergency services when responding to what could have been a “predatory terrorist attack”. This declaration was later rescinded.
Passenger Olly Foster told the BBC he heard people shouting “run, run, there’s a man stabbing everyone” and initially thought it might be a Halloween prank; Saturday was the day after Halloween. However, as the passengers passed him to escape, he noticed that his hand was covered in blood from the chair he was leaning on.
Following reports that some people on the train put themselves in danger to protect others, Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood praised the “extraordinary bravery of staff and passengers on the train”.
King Charles III said he and his wife, Queen Camilla, offered their condolences and thoughts to those affected and were “truly horrified and shocked to hear of the horrific knife attack”.
Passengers on the UK rail network saw an increased police presence on both trains and stations on Sunday.
