POLICE CHIEF WATCHED IN LOCKED CAR AS TERRORIST STABBED PC
THE acting Metropolitan Police commissioner watched PC Keith Palmer being murdered from a car during the Westminster attack.
Sir Craig Mackey, 56, told an inquest he did not get out because he had “no protective equipment and no radio” when Khalid Masood stabbed his colleague to death.
Sir Craig was leaving a meeting together with his chauffeur and chief of staff on March 22 last year when Masood, 52, ran past his car.
The terrorist had just killed four pedestrians using a SUV before crashing into gates at the Palace of Westminster and drawing two knives.
Sir Craig, now the Met’s deputy commissioner, said:
“I was sitting with two others. I could see the man moving towards one of the officers, I now know is PC
Keith Palmer, I could see PC Palmer moving back and then go down. I saw the
LOSS Sir Craig and above
PC Keith Palmer male over PC Palmer and two stab attempts into his torso. It was a very determined stab.” He saw PC Palmer, 48, stand as Masood moved into New Palace Yard with knives.
Sir Craig said Masood looked “absolutely focused” on harm before he was shot three times in the chest by police.
Sir Craig said he went to get out after hearing the shots, adding: “That’s instinct, it wasn’t the right call. I have got no protective equipment, no radio, I have two colleagues who were quite traumatised.
“One of the police officers by the car said, ‘Make safe, go, shut the door,’ which I did and it was the right thing to do.”
Sir Craig said he needed to be at HQ to take command of the situation. He added: “What still shakes me is that the attack was 82 seconds, it felt like an awful long time.”
PC Palmer’s widow Michelle said last week he was left “with no protection to die”. The jury inquest was
adjourned until tomorrow.