One dead and up to five hurt on London Bridge as armed police shoot knifeman

Armed police shot a man on London Bridge today as one person died, up to five people were injured, witnesses claimed the suspect was brandishing a knife and crowds fled in terror.

Dramatic video filmed at the scene this afternoon shows at least four people struggling with a man on the ground before armed police officers drag him away and fire a shot, then back away as he lies prone but still moving.

London Bridge Attack pic.twitter.com/1R6v0j1o51

— Wolfgang Kitzler (@wolfgangert) November 29, 2019

One of the men can be seen holding a knife. The incident comes two and a half years after the horrifying terrorist attack on London Bridge in June 2017 which saw three men kill eight people and injure 48 others.

Witnesses said there appeared to be a scuffle on the southern side of the bridge with several men attacking another man at about 2pm this afternoon, and police said they were responding ‘as though it is terror-related’.

Onlooker Zack Shooter said police almost knocked him over as they ran towards the incident, adding: ‘Then loads of cars with sirens all rushed past me at full speed.’

Police evacuated London Bridge station and the surrounding area. A cordon was set up at Borough Market while evacuation continued from shops and businesses.

The response from officers led scores of people to run down St Thomas’ Street. Police said they were treating the evacuation of the area surrounding Borough Market as a ‘major incident.’

Station staff at Monument claimed five people have been injured in the London Bridge knife attack. The Tube station has been closed off as armed police investigate.

Staff working for News UK, whose offices are by London Bridge station, reported being held in their building as police dealt with the incident.

Dan Wooton, executive editor at The Sun, tweeted: ‘Police dogs at work on London Bridge. We are currently in lockdown in the News building after advice for police.’

A man who works across the road from Borough Market said he had heard reports of a man with a knife who had been shot by police.

‘A lorry crossed over into both lanes and police were shooting at it from both sides,’ he said.

‘Apparently there was an assailant with knife. They’ve taped past our office now and we can’t get in.’

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: ‘I’m being kept updated on the incident at London Bridge and want to thank the police and all emergency services for their immediate response.’

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: ‘Very concerned by ongoing incident at London Bridge. My thoughts are with all affected. I am grateful for the rapid response of our police and I urge everyone to follow their advice.’

One business owner said she had been crossing London Bridge to get to her shop on the north side when police officers stopped her.

She said that was when she heard at least five or six gunshots and said that her store has been evacuated.

The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, added: ‘I was approaching London Bridge and a policeman would not let me through.

‘We heard shooting, it was about five or six shots, I heard five or six quite clearly. All my staff have been evacuated.’

The footage shows several officers surrounding the vehicle before moving to the rear to check its container. London buses can be seen either side of the lorry while three police cars are parked next to it on the bridge.

Witness Amanda Hunter, who was on a bus across the bridge when she heard shots fired, told BBC News: ‘(The bus) all of a sudden stopped and there was commotion and looked out the window and I just saw these three police officers going over to a man.

‘It seemed like there was something in his hand, I’m not 100% sure, but then one of the police officers shot him.

‘We were stopped on a bus for only a minute or a minute-and-a-half, and then we were able to safely get off the bridge.’

Nurse Jackie Benfield, 32, described how she asked to be let off a bus on London Bridge after she heard ‘five or six’ gunshots. Ms Benfield, who was on her way home from work, said she exited the bus and ‘ran like hell’ to escape the shots.

Connor Allen, who was in his van on the bridge when it was evacuated said: ‘Everyone just started running, you heard these pops and that was it. We just got out the van and started running.’

London Ambulance Service said it had declared a major incident.

A statement on Twitter said: ‘We have now declared a major incident and have a number of crews at the scene in London Bridge. We will share more information as soon as we have it.’

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: ‘Police were called at 1.58pm to a stabbing at premises near to London Bridge. Emergency services attended, including officers from the Met and City of London Police.

‘A man has been detained by police. We believe a number of people have been injured. Further info to follow.’

The force added: ‘At this stage, the circumstances relating to the incident at LondonBridge remain unclear. However, as a precaution, we are currently responding to this incident as though it is terror-related.

‘One man has been shot by police. We will provide further information when possible.’

‘We are aware of reports circulating on social media. We will release facts when we can – our info must be accurate.’

One video posted to social media showed a man, apparently the suspect, grappling with some other men. As he tried to get up from the floor, he then collapsed to the ground after being hit by what appeared to be gunfire.

Another video filmed from a nearby bus showed the apparent suspect being shot as he lay on the ground. Another man in a suit and jacket could be seen running from him, having retrieved a large knife.

After at least two shots were heard, passengers could be heard screaming, with one shouting: ‘What the f***, they’ve killed him.’

BBC correspondent John McManus told BBC News that he had heard several gun shots on London Bridge.

‘Just a few minutes ago I was walking across London Bridge on the south bank to the north bank of the bridge,’ he said.

‘There appeared to be a fight going on the other side of the bridge, with several men attacking one man.’

‘Police then quickly arrived, including armed police, and then a number of shots were fired at this man.

‘Police have now cleared the bridge, everybody has been told to move back and now on the northern side of the bridge, but there are more shots going on.

‘I can’t see what’s happening now because we’ve been moved out of the way but there are shots going on, and you probably hear the police sounds as well.

‘Everybody has cleared the area, the entire bridge has been moved, and right on the northern part of the bridge, right up until quite near the Bank of England, is being cleared.’

‘There are more police coming into the area as I’m speaking, they’re telling people to clear, to move back,’ Mr McManus continued.

‘We’ve been moved back hundreds of metres back from the northern side of the bridge, and I can only assume the same has happened on the southern side of the bridge as well.’

The BBC correspondent said he could see a man lying on the ground but the situation was ‘ongoing’.

‘There appeared to be a fight going on on the bridge, from what I could see, several people tried to restrain a man and it was then that armed police arrived and they fired shots at this person,’ he said.

‘The last I could see before we were moving from the bridge was lying on the ground. ‘Since then, since we’ve been moved back, I’ve heard several more shots fired as well. So at this moment it seems to be a developing situation.’

On the picture on London Bridge, Mr McManus said: ‘It’s a busy, sunny Friday afternoon, with lots and lots of people out on the streets.

‘Many people going into London Bridge, which is a major train station for people travelling out to the south of London and to the south coast.

‘Of course, this is the business district, the City of London, so it’s incredibly busy here but right now all the traffic has come to a complete halt, the police ticker tape has gone up, there’s police cars everywhere.

‘I can see traffic being turned around to go back where it came from, because the whole of London Bridge, has now been sealed off and those armed police are on the bridge right now.’

Kelby McNally, OK! Online’s editor, works in the Northern and Shell Building on Lower Thames Street near to London Bridge.

She said: ‘I was coming out of Pret on Eastcheap and there were loads of people just running, I thought it was a fire alarm or something, and then I saw two girls from my office who told me not to go back there. I asked what had happened, and they said they had heard gunshots and now everyone is running.

‘City of London police officers and paramedics told us, ‘You need to go that way, do not go near London Bridge, run that way’.

‘Everyone was running, so then we came to where the Sky Garden building is and the security guards let everyone in. We’re sat in the foyer of this building, and everyone is running outside.

‘Now everyone is being let out of this building but they’re saying you cannot walk back towards London Bridge, go towards Liverpool Street.’

British Transport Police said London Bridge station has been closed. The force tweeted: ‘We are aware of an incident at London Bridge and are assisting our colleagues at the Metropolitan Police.

‘London Bridge station is currently closed and trains are none stopping. Please check with the Metropolitan Police for further updates.’

Source: Daily Mail