Overnight the newspaper reports spoke of ‘an incident’ or ‘a stabbing’ with concern that ‘the community was in fear’. The community is the indigenous long standing local residents and the authorities and the media could not ignore the video evidence taken by a local woman and circulating on social media much beyond breakfast time. The headlines are now reporting something a little more serious.
Update 2pm BST
Police in Northern Ireland have issued a clarification to confirm that the attacker is Sudanese and not Somalian, as initially claimed.
From LBC the Irish News and the Belfast Telegraph
The PSNI has said a man believed to be Somalian has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a serious incident in north Belfast on Monday night.
A warning has been issued over social media footage circulating after a serious stabbing incident in north Belfast.
Police and paramedics were called to the incident in the Kinnaird Avenue area of the city at around 10:30pm.
Video posted to social media appears to show a man stabbing another man several times in the head with a knife.
In harrowing video posted online, an attacker can be seen straddling the bloodied victim’s neck armed with a knife. He stabs the victim in the head repeatedly before taking the knife to the man’s neck, before members of the public rush over to stop the attack.
Bystanders can be heard screaming in the clip: “He’s trying to cut his head off”.
… a man can be seen stabbing a man in the neck while sitting on top of him. Bystanders can be heard telling the attacker to “get off” the victim, who appears to be covered in blood, before a man with a hurl repeatedly strikes the suspect in an attempt to free the injured man.
The Belfast Telegraph understands police recovered a knife at the scene.
Lagan Valley MP Sorcha Eastwood posted online this morning: “People are waking up this morning to absolutely horrifying news of a savage and barbaric attack in Belfast. I can’t get that footage out of my mind and I’m holding the victim in prayer. The community is in shock and my thoughts are with those first responders on the scene who courageously pulled the attacker from the victim and to the police who ran straight into it. Let us all offer up our prayers at this time for the victim and their family and those who witnessed this sickening act. . . “
Councillor Paul McCusker described the scenes as “horrific” and said “the bravery of those residents was commendable”.
SDLP north Belfast Councillor Carl Whyte asked social media users not to share footage of the incident out of respect for the family, and appealed for calm to “allow justice to take its course”. “I would also ask people not to engage with far-right elements who will use this incident in an attempt to sow division. It’s important that people remain calm and allow justice to take its course.”
Because the assailant is described by witnesses as “African” and it is clear in the video that he is black and his victim is white. Latest update – Somalian.
DUP leader Gavin Robinson…told the BBC.
“It was medieval, barbaric and systematic mutilation of an individual in Belfast.
“This incident has a different sense to it and there are concerns about the consequences of this incident and what happens in the hours and days to follow. I don’t know about ‘different’; it sounds like an attempted copy cat of the murder of Lee Rigby to me.
(He) would not be drawn on whether he agreed with comments by a TUV councillor that details around the alleged attacker’s nationality, immigration status and religion should be released by police.
A copy of the video is here. No one can make out yet what the assailant is screaming or even what language it is. Some are critical that the person videoing is making a video and not running to help. From her voice she is a young woman, and she is urging speed on the local menfolk who are out of shot for a few seconds, arming themselves before coming and tackling and subduing the knifeman until the police (black shirt, right hand screenshot) arrive. The stick (middle screenshot) is a hurl, used in the sports of hurley and camogie. Knowing there are men on the case and that police and ambulance are on their way, gathering evidence is the most valuable thing she could have done, in my opinion.
In an update from police this morning, Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said a critical incident has been declared folling “a deeply concerning assault”.
“Our officers were on the scene within minutes and we wish to acknowledge the members of the public who strived to save the man from further attack. Their willingness to step forward to help another person shows incredible bravery and community spirit.”
