Suspect held after ‘killing man in street with machete’
A MAN found dying in the street yesterday afternoon may have been attacked with a machete.
Police arrested a suspect for murder after claims that he had been seen running from the spot wielding the weapon.
The victim, believed to be in his mid-40s, was pronounced dead 30 minutes after police were called to the scene in Harrow, north-west London.
Paramedics battled in vain to save the man’s life after he was found injured at around 3.15pm on the bustling Northolt Road high street.
Police said they thought the victim had a ‘stab or slash wound’ but were now waiting for a post-mortem examination to confirm whether it was recent or old.
Police cars were seen parked around a Ladbrokes betting shop on the high street after the attack. Officers were reviewing CCTV images to establish the circumstances of the ‘unexplained’ death.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: ‘Police were called by the London Ambulance Service at 3.20pm to reports of an
‘Being treated as unexplained’
injured man. The man, who is believed to be in his mid-40s, was treated at the scene for an injury that was initially believed to be a stab or slash wound. He was pronounced dead at 3.50pm.
‘We await the findings of a post-mortem examination to confirm whether this was a recent or pre-existing injury. The death is being treated as unexplained. Next of kin have not been informed. Formal identification is yet to take place.
‘One person was arrested nearby on suspicion of murder after officers were informed that he had been seen running from the scene in possession of a machete.
‘He was taken to a north London police station where he remains in custody. It is not yet known whether this weapon has been used.’
A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: ‘We were called at 3.14pm to reports of an incident. We sent an ambulance crew, two single responders in cars and an incident response officer to the scene. We also dispatched London’s Air Ambulance. Sadly, despite the efforts of medics, a person died at the scene.’