Dramatic moment cops arrest crazed Forest Hill knifeman who reportedly screamed ‘I want to kill a Muslim’ before launching frenzied stabbing on packed train
Reports suggest a man was stabbed on an Overground train at Forest Hill station, south east London, this lunchtime
THIS is the moment police arrested a knifeman who allegedly shouted "who is a Muslim? I want to kill a Muslim" before stabbing a train passenger in a horrifying attack.
Officers in stab-proof vests pounced on the suspect after passengers fled Forest Hill station in London after the incident this lunchtime.
The victim, in his 40s, was said to have been stabbed "several times" while the London Overground train was held at the platform.
Police have said he is in a serious but not life threatening condition.
In a video posted on Twitter this afternoon, officers are seen surrounding a man on a street near the scene of the stabbing.
Shoppers look on as the man is handcuffed and led away by uniformed officers.
Passenger Richard Etienne, 32, said the attacker was 'a man on a mission, full of anger and rage'.
After threatening the muslim woman he said 'I don't want me a Muslim woman, I want me a Muslim man', before going into another carriage where the stabbing happened.
Mr Etienne had jumped on the southbound overground train from Canada Water shortly after 1pm, but as the train left Honor Oak Park station, he became aware of a threatening man walking down the train.
The videographer from Forest Hill, said: "I was on the third carriage and the man with the knife was walking from the fifth carriage at the back.
"I don't know when he got on, but I realised he was marching down the carriages as the train left Honor Oak Park, which is the stop before Forrest Hill."
In the two or three minute interval between the two stations, the attacker terrorised the train.
Richard said: "He was black, wearing a dark Barbour jacket and dark jeans.
"He looked about 5' 7" or 5' 8" and he was marching down the train kind of muttering loudly to himself, so everyone could hear: 'I'm going to kill me a Muslim', that's what I kept hearing him say.
"The majority of people were trying to ignore him and some were starting to move away towards the back of the train.
"Then he stopped where I was sitting and turned to face me. His facial expression was like a man on a mission, full of anger and rage.
"He then turned away from me to look at a woman with a hijab sitting opposite me. She looked in her twenties.
"I could see the back of him and that's when I saw the knife in his right hand.
"The blade looked about five to six inches and it looked like a kitchen knife with a black handle.
"He was holding it at hip level but his hands were stiff and the blade was pointing towards her, so he was holding it to her.
"I think I heard a woman next to her, say: 'Oh God, he's got a knife."
After a tense few seconds the attacker said: "I don't want me a Muslim woman, I want me a Muslim man."
Those at the scene reported that a "man with a knife" was "chasing people" in the vicinity of the station for up to 15 minutes with witnesses reporting he shouted "death to Muslims" and "go back to Syria".
Miguel Oliveira, 36, said he was met with a "wave of people" when he arrived at the station following the incident.
He said: "The first few were shouting 'he's got a knife, he's got a knife' and then all of a sudden the next ones said 'Oh he's been stabbed call the police'."
He added that some members of the crowd were shouting: "He wants to kill Muslims".
Mr Oliveira fled but in the confusion came face to face with the attacker.
He added: "He was walking towards me and he was shouting stuff like 'death to Muslims' and 'go back to Syria'."
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Fellow commuters took to social media to share news of the incident, with photographs showing a frenzy of police and ambulances outside the popular commuter station.
One Twitter user: "A massacre in #Foresthill station a man shouting who is Muslim I want to kill a Muslim stabs several times a Muslim passenger, no reason."
Shellby Curry, 24, from Forest Hill, was with her one-year old child when she saw a man "waving what looked to be a knife in his hand" near the station and screaming words like "Muslims f****** hate them, kill them all".
Miss Curry said: "I just grabbed my baby and ran across the road. Looking back [I saw] him marching up and down waving his arm about."
Miguel d'Oliveira wrote on Facebook: "He was targeting Muslims and shouting like a mad man.
"I was trying to get away and accidentally came face to face with him. Have enough adrenaline for the rest of the year now."
Juliette Cooper's daughter's friend was on the train and told her the man had a "wild look" in his eye.
Juliette told the : “Around 30 people were running out of the station screaming. There was a guy there pacing around and shouting ‘I’ll take everyone on’.
“I asked people what had happened and they said he had stabbed someone with a knife. I called the police."
Another Twitter user claimed a man "held a knife against a lady in a headscarf and asked 'where is your man?'"
London Overground confirmed services between New Cross Gate, Crystal Palace and West Croydon have all been suspended due to a 'customer incident'.
British Transport Police said officers are are the scene and have said the incident is not being treated as terrorism related at this time.
A 38-year-old man from London was arrested at the scene on suspicion of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm.
In a statement police said: “This was a serious assault on a man in broad daylight and we are aware that other passengers may have seen what happened or been threatened themselves.
“We have spoken with many witnesses from the train but if you saw what happened and haven’t yet contacted police, please do so as soon as you can.”
Did you witness the attack? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368