Manchester Victoria attack's 'hero' cop tells of moment he ran towards knifeman as terror suspect's family offers 'prayers' for victims

Sergeant Lee Valentine was stabbed in the shoulder as he tried to detain a man "wielding a knife", as two bystanders were injured in the New Year's Eve attack.

He said: “The past 48 hours have been overwhelming. My team and I are grateful to everyone who sent in messages of support – it really does mean the world to us.

"We had no idea what we were running towards when we heard the screams on New Year’s Eve.

"When we saw the man wielding a knife, instinct took over and we were able to, in company with Travel Safe Officers from Metrolink, successfully detain the male.”

The man has now been detained under the Mental Health Act following the triple stabbing.

His family have today released a statement offering prayers for the victims.

The Manchester Evening News reports they said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with those who were seriously injured, their families and friends."

The statement references their gratitude to the emergency services for the swift response, and said they are aware their relative is detained and being treated by medics.

It added: "We are acutely aware that many, including within the media, may well have many questions to ask us. However, we have been informed by the GMP that there is an active ongoing, terrorist investigation and as such we are limited in what we can say at this stage.

"It is important that the police investigations take its course and any reports and articles avoid any assumptions, speculations and generalisations.

"We do not wish to make any further comment at this time."

Speaking about the attack, BTP’s Chief Constable, Paul Crowther, said: “This horrific incident underlines the bravery of our officers, who selflessly ran towards danger to help keep the public safe.

“As the first officers on the scene, their quick-thinking and outstanding response helped to prevent more passengers being hurt and stands as a testament to the Force.

“Whilst this incident is an example of policing at its finest it also serves as a dark reminder of policing at its most dangerous. In their efforts to detain the suspect, one of our officers suffered a stab injury to his shoulder.

"I have met with the officer today, along with his colleagues, and I am both humbled and full of admiration at their tenacity and dedication."

Three people, including a British Transport Police officer, were injured at about 9pm on New Year's Eve.

A female victim was stabbed in the face and left with a "significant injury" to her forehead while her male partner suffered multiple stab wounds to the stomach, cops said.

Both victims, in their 50s, are expected to be in hospital "for some time".

A 25-year-old man was arrested on December 31, and the police opened a Counter Terrorism investigation.

Greater Manchester Police said in a statement yesterday: "There is nothing to suggest the involvement of other people in this attack, but confirming this remains a main priority for the investigation.

"The search of the address in Cheetham Hill continues."

Prime Minister Theresa May and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn both said the victims were in their thoughts, with Mrs May praising the "bravery" of the emergency services and Mr Corbyn highlighting their "courage response".

There have been no major terrorist attacks in the UK for the past year but MI5 and the police say they are dealing with 700 investigations into suspected terrorism.

In 2017, there were five terrorist attacks – four in London and one in Manchester.

Source: Read Full Article