An English-speaking tourist who tackled a rampaging knifeman after he stabbed five people in Amsterdam has been praised as a ‘true hero’.
Dramatic footage shows the individual pinning down the attacker and restraining him from any further assaults on the busy street.
It came after a knife rampage near the historic Dam Central Square left five injured, including two Americans yesterday afternoon.
As chaos unfolded, eyewitnesses spoke of seeing a ‘knife of at least 10 centimetres sticking out’ of a girl’s back, between her shoulders.
Earlier today police revealed that the suspect used multiple knives during the horrific attack.
They have so far have declined to give any indication as to a motive for the stabbings, saying their investigation was under way.
The police suspect that he chose his victims at random.
Witnesses said that the attacker was overwhelmed by bystanders before officers arrived on the scene. The suspect, who has been arrested, was subsequently taken to hospital with a leg injury.
Local reports claim the man who tackled him spoke English and was believed to be British, but police have not confirmed where he is from. They have only confirmed that he is not a Dutch national.
A spokesperson for the Amsterdam force praised his actions as ‘heroic’, according to De Telegraaf.
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The suspect was tackled to the ground outside the Febo fast food restaurant, according to reports
A police spokesman told AD : ‘He did a great job’
The knife rampage near the historic Dam Central Square left five injured, including two Americans yesterday afternoon
A police spokesman also told AD: ‘He did a great job.
‘We’re very proud of him, but we also want to point out that you need to be very careful if you want to make a citizen’s arrest. Most people are not trained for this sort of thing.’
Maarten Brinkm, head of the ACP police union, said: ‘A big thumbs-up for the decisive action of this hero.
‘The heroic citizen can count on massive praise.’
His actions sparked waves of praise on social media, with one comment saying: ‘Respect for this man. We need more heroes like this.
‘A true hero, despite the chaos this man managed to hold the attacker down until the police arrived.’
Another said: ‘Hero, this man deserves a medal!’
The suspect was tackled to the ground outside the Febo fast food restaurant, according to reports.
An employee told The Independent: ‘Apparently some guy kicked him and broke his ankle. He got kicked down [by some bystanders] because he tried to run away.
‘I think somebody kicked him in the face as well. It sounds like it was well deserved.’
Police officers gather not far from the area after a stabbing near Dam Square in central Amsterdam
Police cordoned off a large area around the Royal Palace in the central Dam Square to allow an emergency helicopter to land
Police officers stand behind a cordoned off area after the stabbing near Dam Square
Police officers walk under the tape of the cordoned off area following the attack
Sources told De Telegraaf that the suspect is likely a Eastern European man in his early 40s, though no details have been confirmed.
He checked into a hotel in Amsterdam, which has now been raided by special forces, the day before the attack.
A witness who saw the arrest said the suspect ‘looked normal’ and ‘middle-aged’.
The five victims were a 67-year-old and a 69-year-old American duo, a 26-year-old Polish man who has now been discharged from hospital, a 73-year-old woman from Belgium and a 19-year-old woman from Amsterdam.
Police arrived to find the injured people at various locations in and around Sint Nicolaasstraat in the centre of Amsterdam.
They then cordoned off a large area around the Royal Palace in the central Dam Square to allow an emergency helicopter to land.
Dutch newspaper Het Parool reported that two people were first stabbed on a side street off the city’s busy shopping street, Nieuwendijk.
The suspect then reportedly walked towards the road of Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal, where he stabbed another person on the corner of the two streets.
Sint Nicolaasstraat in Amsterdam, where five people were injured in a stabbing incident
Another victim was also stabbed closer to the square on Gravenstraat, before the suspect was arrested on Nieuwendijk.
Justice and Security Minister David van Weel said yesterday that it was too early to speculate on the motive behind the attack.
Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema said a police investigation was ‘in full swing’ and authorities hoped to uncover more details of what happened soon.
‘Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and loved ones,’ she added.
