London police kill suspect in ‘terrorism-related’ stabbings

POLICE SHOT and killed a man in south London after he wounded at least two people in “terrorism-related” stabbings yesterday, the city’s police department said.

The attack in the Streatham neighborhood marked a departure from recent attacks in the British capital that took place near high-profile landmarks in central London.

“The circumstances are being assessed,’’ the Metropolitan Police force tweeted. “The incident has been declared as terrorist-related.”

Police said they received reports of the stabbings around 2 p.m. Multiple emergency medical vehicles quickly filled the street as helicopters hovered overhead, according to video shared on social media.

Witness Karker Tahir told Sky News that undercover police officers chased a man down the neighborhood’s main commercial street.

“They kept telling him, ‘Stop! Stop!’,’’ Tahir said. “But he didn’t stop, and then I saw that they shot him three times. It was horrible seeing it. The man was on the floor and it looked like he had something which police said may be a device.

“Police came to us and said, ‘You have to leave the shop because he has a bomb in his bag’,”Tahir added.

Richard Mustonen-Smith, 59, a street pastor who is trained to work with the police during crisis situations, said he was in shock.

“I’ve been here all my life,’’ he said. “We’re always getting accidents down here, but not this.’’

The attack took place a little over two months after two people were stabbed to death near London Bridge by a man who had recently been released from the prison where he was serving a 16-year sentence for plotting a terror attack.

AP A police forensic officer looks around near the scene after a stabbing incident in Streatham London, England, yesterday. London police officers shot and killed a suspect after at least two people were stabbed Sunday in what authorities are investigating as a terror attack.