A man was brutally stabbed in the street yards from a primary school and nursery in Birmingham today.
Armed counter-terror officers raced to the scene in Alum Rock after the horrific attack shortly before midday.
A Good Samaritan drove his van at the knifeman in a desperate bid to stop the stabbing. The suspect then ran inside a block of flats and barricaded himself inside.
A woman was seen screaming with bloodied hands from an upstairs window shouting that the man was outside her door.
Armed police ran down Bridge Road telling bystanders to leave the scene, describing it as a ‘siege’.
Officers arrested a 32-year-old man over the incident, which left another man seriously injured. A woman also suffered ‘non-life threatening’ injuries.
Others could be seen performing CPR on the victim, who appeared to be barefoot and covered in blood.
A horrific video posted online showed the attacker kicking his victim next to a parked car before plunging a knife into his chest.
Three ambulances, two paramedic officers, a trauma team and the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance all responded to the incident.
Armed officers were called to Bridge Street in Alum Rock at 12.06pm as a nearby primary school went into lockdown
West Midlands Police said firearms officers were deployed ‘as part of the police response’. Some of them were elite officers with training to deal with terrorist incidents
Three ambulances, two paramedic officers, a trauma team and the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance all responded to the incident
The witness said: ‘I was driving down the road in my van. I saw a guy on the floor covered in blood.
‘I parked my van and jumped out to help him. I don’t care what colour or religion you are, you help people.
‘The next thing the guy with the knife tried to attack me. He was speaking a different language.
‘I used my van to try to get him, but he kept coming. In the end I jumped the fence to safe myself and he ran inside.
‘There was a woman screaming from one of the flats, so the attack must have started there.’
Children from Rosary Catholic Primary School are not believed to have been in the playground at the time.
Parents gathered at a cordon this afternoon after the school and an adjoining nursery were put into lockdown.
Locals said men from Sudan and Somalia live in the block of flats where the suspect ran into.
Police vehicles and an ambulance next to the scene of the stabbing, which is covered by a tent
A police dog was pictured being taken out of a response car
Detective Superintendent James Munro from West Midlands Police, said: ‘We believe this to be a contained incident with a man in custody.
‘We are reviewing CCTV footage and speaking to a number of people in the area. But would appeal to anyone who has any information to get in touch.
‘We understand how deeply distressing and concerning this incident is and we will have extra officers in the area to offer reassurance to the community.’
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: ‘Crews arrived to find a man with serious injuries and administered advanced life support on scene.
‘A second patient, a woman, was treated for less serious injuries.’
Witnesses or anyone with information, including mobile phone or dashcam footage, can contact police on 101, quoting log number 2105 of 3 March. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
