by Shelby Talcott
Several people were stabbed Friday near the London Bridge in England and police shot the suspect dead, according to Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu.
Police confirmed the man they shot died at the scene after several people were stabbed. Authorities are treating the incident as a terrorist attack and the man had a fake explosive device, Basu said. Parts of London remain shut down as police continue to investigate.
“As you would expect due to the nature of the incident, we responded as though this was terrorist related. I’m now in a position to confirm that it has been declared a terrorist incident,” Basu said during a press conference, adding that authorities do not know a motive.
“However, I can confirm at this time, we believe a device that was strapped to the body of the suspect is a hoax explosive device. Officers continue to carry out meticulous searches in the area to ensure there is no outstanding threat to the public,” Basu said.
Police statement: AC Neil Basu gives statement on #LondonBridge incident. 29.11.19 https://t.co/890GWzIVhJ
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) November 29, 2019
Officers responded to the area after reports of “a stabbing.” Witnesses nearby said they heard gunshots, and Sky News reported that police shot the alleged stabber, according to The Associated Press.
Earlier Friday, the Metropolitan Police force tweeted it was “dealing with an incident at London Bridge.” A BBC reporter also said he heard gunshots, backing up early witness reports.
https://twitter.com/MetPoliceEvents/status/1200418083497762819?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1200418083497762819&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fdailycallernewsfoundation.org%2F2019%2F11%2F29%2Fseveral-people-reportedly-stabbed-in-london-bridge-attack%2F
Video footage showed police aiming their weapons at a person on the ground, NBC News confirmed.
“We have now declared a major incident and have a number of crews at the scene in London Bridge,” London Ambulance Service tweeted.
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Shelby Talcott is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “London Terror Attack” by The Sun.
