Desperate efforts to save stabbed PC, inquest is told

A RESCUER shouted “come on, son” to murdered PC Keith Palmer, amid desperate attempts to save him outside the Palace of Westminster, his inquest has heard.

Officers ran to help Mr Palmer, 48, after his killer Khalid Masood was shot dead.

Masood had crashed his hired car and run into New Palace Yard where he stabbed the officer who had stumbled by a low wall.

A “chilling” image showed Masood bearing down on the constable with a large knife in each hand. He stood over Mr Palmer, stabbing him by the wall before being distracted by another officer.

Seconds later, Masood was shot dead by a plainclothes officer.

Frantic scenes of people rushing to offer first aid were captured on a mobile phone.

In audio played at the Old Bailey, there were shouts of: “Police officer stabbed in the head. Police officer stabbed in the head.”

He was described as having a “weak pulse” and losing blood while another person said: “He’s been stabbed in the back.”

A man could be heard urging Mr Palmer to fight for his life, shouting: “Keith, come on son.” An ambulance arrived on the scene just before 3pm but efforts to save his life stopped at 3.15pm.

The “ferocious” attack on Mr Palmer came after Masood, 52, had mowed down and killed four pedestrians on Westminster Bridge on March 22 last year.

Carl Knight was sat in the top deck of a passing bus when Masood crashed into the railings outside the Palace of Westminster.

He said he was alerted by a loud bang that sounded like a small explosion , then saw Masood get out of the driver’s side of the Hyundai. In a statement read in court, Mr Knight said: “A pedestrian male walked across and said, ‘What are you doing?’.

“The African male replied, f*** off, you don’t want to mess with me.’”

He said the threat was made “aggressively and dominantly” as Masood showed he was holding a knife in each hand.

“I could hear screaming and women’s voices shouting, ‘drive’ and, ‘let me off the bus,’” Mr Knight continued.

He said people ran after seeing the knives while one woman embraced her child and said: “Don’t kill me.”

The hearing continues.