He had two knives covered in blood. He was going to kill me

Officer tells how he gunned down the Westminster Bridge fanatic

THE police bodyguard who shot dead the Westminster Bridge terrorist showed his distress yesterday as he told an inquest: ‘He was going to kill me.’

The close protection officer was guarding a Cabinet minister when Khalid Masood burst into the grounds of Parliament and fatally stabbed PC Keith Palmer.

giving evidence at the Old Bailey, the bodyguard said he was ‘certain that something terrible was happening’ when he saw unarmed officers frantically running toward him.

The officer, known only as SA74 to protect his identity, said: ‘i saw a large black male running purposefully toward me. He was carrying two large knives, and i could clearly see they were covered in blood.

‘i shouted at him to drop the knives. it had no effect. He continued to move toward me. He was going to kill me. Seeing no change in his demeanour, i fired my pistol. it was a quick succession of shots until the threat was no longer present.’

SA74 was waiting with another bodyguard for the Cabinet minister to leave the House of Commons when Masood mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge in March last year.

The officers, who were armed with glock pistols, became aware of the attack when they heard Masood crash his hired SUV into the perimeter fence of the Palace of Westminster. As they moved toward the sound, they then heard ‘a lot of incredibly loud screaming and shouting’.

SA74 said: ‘i had no idea what had taken place. i moved along the cobbled area in the direction of Parliament Square. i was jogging toward the gates. immediately in front of me i was aware of shouts which i understood to be of police officers.’

The bodyguard said he saw unarmed officers with their batons drawn, shouting at members of the public to get back.

‘The batons were extended and they were frantically moving toward me, trying to get away from something or someone,’ he said. ‘i was now certain that something terrible was happening.’

SA74 broke down at the inquest into the terrorist’s death as he described seeing Masood’s knives covered with Mr Palmer’s blood.

He paused to regain his composure, before telling the hearing: ‘He was running toward me. As soon as i saw that threat, my pistol was withdrawn and i was pointing it at him.’

SA74 fired three shots at Masood, 52, which hit him in his torso. He added: ‘i continued to fire until that threat was no longer there.’ Hugo Keith QC, for Scotland Yard, asked him: ‘Can you think of a more immediate threat or greater justification for firing than the need to protect your life and the lives of those around you?’

The protection officer replied: ‘none at all, sir.’ His colleague, known only as SB73, told jurors he risked his own safety to handcuff Masood. He then tried to save the fanatic’s life as he lay dying.

‘At that time he was still breathing,’ SB73 said. ‘His chest was still rising and falling.

‘He was going grey. He basically stopped breathing so i started CPR – chest compressions.’ The terrorist killed four people on the bridge – US tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, retired window cleaner leslie rhodes, 75, mother of two Aysha Frade, 44, and romanian tourist Andreea Cristea, 31 – and seriously injured 29. The inquest continues.

‘Incredibly loud screaming’