Woolwich incident 22 May

[jon0844]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22630303

Police say they are responding to an incident in Woolwich, south east London, amid reports that a man has been attacked.

Scotland Yard said the incident took place in John Wilson Street, at 14:20 BST.

Pictures on Twitter appear to show three people lying on the ground surrounded by police and paramedics.

London Ambulance Service said an air ambulance and four crews were also at the scene.

A spokesperson could not confirm the number of casualties.

Police said the area around John Wilson Street was shut down.

On its Twitter account, the Metropolitan Police helicopter team called the incident "serious".

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "Officers have responded to an incident...

"We believe at this stage officers were called to reports of an assault."

David Dixon, a local head teacher, told the BBC News Channel he walked out of the school gates and saw a body lying in the road a short distance away.

He then heard gunshots.

Twitter is, unsurprisingly, full of information that might be totally untrue, but a lot of people have pointed to a supposed eyewitness.

https://twitter.com/BOYADEE

 

[tsr]

Reports are that a man has been decapitated and two people, suggested to be the perpetrators, were carrying a knife and a gun and are injured after being hit by shots from police.

 

[jnjkerbin]

Reports are (although nothing official yet) that the victim is a soldier from the local barracks.

 

[tsr]

Further info that the victim was run over and then attacked, possibly by a blue Vauxhall. At this stage, police are not looking for any suspects other than those hospitalised.

 

[chris89]

Latest news is a Cobra Meeting is being held some point soon.

All thoughts go towards the Soldier's Family, Friends and those from his Barracks/ Platoon.

Chris

 

[tsr]

This is now being treated as a possible terrorist attack.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
A controlled explosion is being carried out on a blue car (maybe the same one) outside a block of flats near the scene.

 

[Antman]

Seems almost certainly terrorist related

 

[Manchester77]

Nick Robinson has just said that it is 'strongly suspected to be a terrorist attack' and that the attackers were shouting something about Allah. He does say that none of this is confirmed to which is being stessed very seriously. I'd imagine we'll find out more at the 10 o clock news

 

[richw]

The bbc are reporting they are saying its terrorist is because the attackers were shouting

According to senior Whitehall sources the people carrying out the attack were heard to say Allahu Akbar [God is Great],

So because they made such comments its a terrorist attack? How about a racial or religious crime?

 

[Captain Chaos]

According to the BBC feed, ITV say they have footage of one of them saying "We swear by almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you".

 

[westcoaster]

The bbc are reporting they are saying its terrorist is because the attackers were shouting


So because they made such comments its a terrorist attack? How about a racial or religious crime?

Look on the itv news website and watch the video sickening , defo terror related.

 

[ilkestonian]

Quite disturbing video on ITV News of one of the alleged attackers with bloodied hands, holding two large knives/machetes trying to justify the attack.

 

[High Dyke]

According to the BBC feed, ITV say they have footage of one of them saying "We swear by almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you".

That was mentioned on the BBC News.

BBC political editor Nick Robinson said the police view is that the attack may have been filmed and footage may exist.

According to senior Whitehall sources the people carrying out the attack were heard to say Allahu Akbar [God is Great], said our political editor.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22630303

 

[sonic2009]

Trying to view that video, but the ITV news website is down probably due to high traffic on the site.

 

[JoeH]

I just saw the footage on Channel 4 and apparently it was shown on ITV earlier.

 

[Manchester77]

@BBCBreaking: David Cameron: #Woolwich attack is "absolutely sickening... there are strong indications it is a terrorist incident" http://t.co/rQeke9gRRI

Looks as if it was defiantly terrorist.

 

[jon0844]

I guess the video is pretty indisputable.

However, do we know it's definitely a soldier that was killed (as against, say, someone visiting). Would a soldier wear a t-shirt saying 'Help for heroes'? Could be a normal civilian who was attacked for simply supporting the armed forces.

 

[youngboy]

I actually feel sick to the pit of my stomach, and my thoughts are with his family. As a parent myself I couldn't begin to think how his parents felt receiving the news they got today...RIP Fella !!!

 

[DarloRich]

I have just watched that ITV video and it is insane and disgusting.

What i cant understand is that there are groups of people at the top of the street milling about, why aren't they doing anything? Why aren't they beating those lunatics to death?

A man is hacked to death on a busy London street in broad daylight and people do nothing!

 

[Darandio]

A man is hacked to death on a busy London street in broad daylight and people do nothing!

It may be something to do with the fact the guy is stood holding two weapons?

Please don't come back and say that several people could overpower him.

 

[455driver]

A man is hacked to death on a busy London street in broad daylight and people do nothing!

They did, they got their camera phones out to video it, even getting off a bus to do so!

Dont you just love the great British public!

But what do you realistically expect them to do when they see the assailants waving large knives (and possibly a machete) around, I certainly wouldnt have just stood there filming while one of them walked towards me.

 

[jon0844]

It is a bit different to the incident in Glasgow. Those weapons would certainly make you think twice.

That said, it's quite amazing that people hung around at all. Some might have been too scared to run, but filming and taking photos was brave*. However, 455driver, some reports have said they specifically told people to film them - and I guess you'd probably comply.

By the looks of it, they wanted to make sure as many people saw it as possible - regardless of the supposed apology at the start.

* It might be legal to take photos in public, but even I'd probably be thinking twice about my legal rights.

 

[Captain Chaos]

It may be something to do with the fact the guy is stood holding two weapons?

Please don't come back and say that several people could overpower him.

Indeed. I'm all for making a stand but no-one is going to try and overpower someone with two weapons when unarmed themselves. That's not being brave. That's being stupid. I suppose if he was going on a total rampage and doing one after the other might change things a bit and you'll probably find that a group would try and overpower him in that case. But in this case he'd stopped his attack. So there's no logical need for anyone to put themselves in any danger.

 

[455driver]

That said, it's quite amazing that people hung around at all. Some might have been too scared to run, but filming and taking photos was brave*. However, 455driver, some reports have said they specifically told people to film them - and I guess you'd probably comply.

By the looks of it, they wanted to make sure as many people saw it as possible - regardless of the supposed apology at the start.

* It might be legal to take photos in public, but even I'd probably be thinking twice about my legal rights.

I havent been following all the reports and wasnt aware of the fiming situation.

I would be more concerned about becoming victim no2 rather than my legal rights though.

 

[jon0844]

My post might be a bit confusing. I was saying I wouldn't film even though I could, which to be honest, is irrelevant if the next bit was true.

And that was that people who witnessed the attack were approached and told to take out their phones and take photos/film, so they could explain why they did what they did. I doubt anyone would disobey, let alone seek to overpower them both.

Now if they had gone to attack someone else, that might have then seen people take some action despite the risks, but that didn't happen and I presume the police soon arrived on the scene and took over.

A horrible situation. I can well believe some people were frozen in fear.

 

[Darandio]

Indeed. I'm all for making a stand but no-one is going to try and overpower someone with two weapons when unarmed themselves. That's not being brave. That's being stupid. I suppose if he was going on a total rampage and doing one after the other might change things a bit and you'll probably find that a group would try and overpower him in that case. But in this case he'd stopped his attack. So there's no logical need for anyone to put themselves in any danger.

Even more so now we allegedly have a witness stating that one the guys pulled out a gun too. You don't really stand a chance then, do you.

 

[DarloRich]

It may be something to do with the fact the guy is stood holding two weapons?

Please don't come back and say that several people could overpower him.

several people? There must be 20 at the top of the road! Disgusting and shameful. Surely people in this county can not have lost their moral compass!

Anyway the police got them in the end so hopefully they will survive to be put on trial and sent down for good. Rather that i suppose than being made martyr.

 

[Antman]

Quite shocking footage of one of the killers calmly apologising for the fact women had to witness it and trying to justify such crazy actions. Many onlookers had thought it was a road accident. It was only when police arrived and the killers tried to attack them and were shot, possibly with a tazer, the onlookers realised it was something far more serious.

 

[Darandio]

several people? There must be 20 at the top of the road! Disgusting and shameful. Surely people in this county can not have lost their moral compass!

Anyway the police got them in the end so hopefully they will survive to be put on trial and sent down for good. Rather that i suppose than being made martyr.

You really expect people to tackle a pair of armed men? I'm guessing you would do it of course but wouldn't I condone it. One wrong move and you end up on a slab alongside that poor guy.

 

[DarloRich]

i would condone it in this case!

I dont suggest doing it by yourself but there were 20 people at the stop of the street milling about. It is wrong to stand by, especially when some poor bloke is hacked to death and the assailants are stood pontificating about it in the street! sorry but that is my view.