Woman attacked by man with samurai sword
A man has been arrested after a woman was attacked by a man with a samurai sword, police have said.
The Met said officers were called at 12.39am today to reports of a woman being attacked in Holloway Road, close to the junction of Mercers Road, Islington.
The woman, a 22-year-old Italian, was found bleeding by a police sergeant and taken to hospital with wounds to the legs, arms and face.
The sergeant forced the man to ground and arrested him after a chase, police said. The suspect remains in custody at a north London police station.
The Met also said it had seized a large bag containing a crossbow, samurai type swords and numerous hunting knives and gas masks from the suspect.
Det. Supt Steve Wallace of Islington Police said: “This was a vicious unprovoked stranger attack on a defenceless woman and if it had not been for the officer’s bravery and quick thinking the woman and other members of the public could have been killed.
“It takes a very brave officer to tackle a man who you know wants to inflict serious injuries to you with a samurai sword.
Most Read
- 1 New Aldi on Old Street to open this month
- 2 Islington men charged after jewellery store robbery
- 3 'Mistrust and fear' of services fuelling Islington BAME employment gap, research finds
- 4 Alleged stalker sent '1,000 emails in a month’ to The Crown star Claire Foy
- 5 Call to get vaccinated amid Covid surge
- 6 Plea date set for man accused of Sabita Thanwani killing
- 7 'Save Islington's buses': Call for action as sweeping cuts loom
- 8 Guilty: 4 teenagers admit 27 offences after series of 19 robberies
- 9 Old Bailey: Pair enter pleas over Alex Smith murder
- 10 O2 Centre climb: Entertaining with fantastic panoramic views of London
“Courage such as this is above and beyond the call of duty and I can’t commend the officer highly enough.
“The fact that the officer was unarmed and alone when he tackled the man only underlines his bravery.
“He recognised the threat posed by this man and, in a conscious act, positioned himself between the suspect and the public to prevent anyone else being seriously injured.”
