London continues to be marred with bloodshed as a spate of stabbings with machetes, swords, and knives has taken place throughout the British capital in recent days.
In just the latest incident, a stabbing outside Manor House underground railway station in the early hours of Thursday morning took an even darker turn as a police officer investigating was hit by a car which drove through the crime scene cordon before speeding off, reports the BBC. No arrests have yet been made for the stabbing or the hit-and-run on the police officer, who was not injured and treated by a paramedic for shock at the scene.
A report in the Mirror tabloid newspaper cites the testimony of a preacher who witnessed the collision and ran to the officer’s aid. Reverand Efrayim Goldstein told the paper that he saw the officer motioned for the vehicle to stop, but instead, it swerved and hit him.
He was quoted as saying of the white car, which police officers then pursued: “He was driving quickly, there was black smoke as he turned. He swerved at the last second. He was swerving around the crime scene and went through the other tape.”
Days earlier, an unidentified man was in critical condition,and another hospitalised after a fight broke out on Streatham High Street in South London.
One witness was reported by The Sun to have said of Monday’s event: “Crazy. Was coming out of train station and 1 guy was on the ground with stab wound and possibly his friend too [sic].”
A second witness said: “Another young person stabbed in Streatham. What is wrong with our young people.”
Lambeth Police wrote on social media: “Police were called at 6.10 pm to reports of a fight near Streatham station. Two males (no further details) were taken to hospital for treatment to stab injuries. One of whom is in a critical condition. No arrest yet.”
Two hours before the knife attack in Streatham, police were called to the scene of another stabbing on Gwendolen Avenue in Wandsworth.
The victim of the stabbing, believed to be in his 20s, was taken to hospital before being discharged. Again, no arrests have been made so far.
On Monday morning, another man was stabbed in High Wycombe, a suburb just outside of London. The 19-year-old was stabbed with a large knife as he was hunted down by two suspected teenagers at 11:15 am.
Police said that they believe the man was stabbed with either a machete or sword.
Wycombe CID Detective Inspector Gill Fox said: “I would like to reassure the public that we believe this to be a targeted assault and that there is no risk to the wider community.”
A total of nine people were stabbed in London on Sunday, including an attack that left five men injured, with one in critical condition, during a stabbing spree in Bexleyheath in South London.
Two more men, including a teenager, were found with knife injuries near a Tube station in East London following what police characterised as an “altercation” between the two of them.
On Saturday, a murder inquiry was launched following the death of a 22-year-old man in Burnt Oak in North West London. Murder investigations were launched following knife killings in Barnet and Lewisham over the weekend, as well.
The crime spree comes as the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, announced in late June that he would be looking to cut police funding, alongside other essential services due to budget shortfalls resulting from the Chinese coronavirus.
The latest crime figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) released in July showed that knife crime in England and Wales rose to record levels in the year leading up to March, with London being the main driver in the rise.
During Mr Khan’s tenure as mayor, murders have risen by 23 per cent, and knife crime rose by seven per cent. Since 2018, homicides committed with knives or other blades have increased by 28 per cent, with 86 people being stabbed or slashed to death in London last year.
Follow Kurt on Twitter at @KurtZindulka
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