Regular Londoners who tackled a knife-wielding terrorist wearing a fake suicide vest to the ground have been praised for their heroism
- London Mayor Sadiq Khan has praised the members of the public who were filmed tackling a man who launched a knife attack near London bridge police have described as a terror attack.
- Police said that the man was wearing a fake suicide vest, and was shot dead by officers from the City of London Police.
- Footage appears to show members of the public tackling the terrorist, wrestling him to the ground, and disarming him.
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London Mayor Sadiq Khan has praised the civilians who tackled and pinned down a terrorist wearing a fake explosive vest who launched a knife attack near London Bridge as "the best of humanity."
At around 2 p.m. local time, police were called to London Bridge after several people were wounded in a knife attack nearby.
Footage on social media shows what appears to be around 10 civilans surrounding holding down the attacker. They are struggling to prevent him from breaking free.
One civilian was pictured stepping back from the huddle carrying a large knife, having apparently disarmed the attacker. He drops the knife well out of reach of the man.
Armed police approach the group and pull members of the public away from the man, and one man is left struggling with the attacker on the ground.
Police pull this man away and then open fire at the attacker, shooting him dead with two shots.
After the shooting footage shows police clear members of the public from the scene and back away, weapons raised.
In remarks to reporters, Khan said: "I would like to thank members of the public who risked their safety this afternoon - they are the best of us.
He praised the "breathtaking heroism of members of the public who literally ran towards danger."
"Members of the public who ran toward danger ... members of the public didn't realise at the time it was a hoax device .... they really are the best of us," said Khan.
Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Baku told reporters in a press briefing that the attack was being treated as a terrorist incident, and the attacker had been wearing a fake explosive vest.
He said that five people had been injured in the attack.
No further information on the status of those injured, or the identity of the attacker or his motivation has yet been released.