Dramatic moment cops wrestle ‘knifeman’ to the ground after he ‘threatened shoppers at Jewish store’ in Golders Green
A MAN has been arrested following a suspected anti-Semitic knife attack on a Kosher food shop.
Footage shows the 34-year-old brandishing the massive blue kitchen blade outside Kay’s Local in Golders Green, North London, yesterday afternoon.
Eyewitnesses said the knifeman approached the shop with his weapon concealed and ordered staff to come outside and “talk about the Israel/Palestine conflict”.
Minutes later he pulled the weapon before being heroically fended off by shop workers.
Yosef Chaim Reitman, 18, was pictured battering the suspect with a trolley in the mad scramble.
He told The Sun: “He looked like a dodgy guy – he obviously wasn’t here to buy anything. Just to argue with us.
“When my father asked him to leave he pushed him – then I stepped in and he grabbed my neck so I tried to tackle him onto the floor.
“Suddenly he pulled a knife out and we started to subdue him.”
Footage shows the mad panic as shop workers desperately try to subdue the knifeman – who is sporting a grey hoodie and black joggers.
Shelf stacker Bruno Teixeira was among staff who sprung into action – grabbing a broom and taking on the attacker.
The Portuguese dad-of-one told the Jewish Chronicle: “It’s not fair that he had a knife and other people had nothing.
“Then I saw the broom… I had to use it.”
Yosef, who works at the shop can be seen battering him with a nearby trolley before the suspect flees.
He ran to a shared house further down the road – before reemerging minutes later in traditional Islamic garb to disguise himself.
By then, police and members of community patrol group Shomrim had arrived and dramatically took down the suspect.
A Shomrim spokesman said: “At about 1:27pm our officers received a call to our hotline saying someone was threatening someone with a knife.
“We surrounded the address and decided not to go inside but wait for police to arrive.
“He got into a change of clothes and as soon as he left he was detained.”
Cops later used a battering ram to gain access to the home and recover the weapon.
A Met spokesman added: “We were called at 13:27hrs on Monday, 29 January to reports of a man with a knife in Hamilton Road, NW11.
“Officers responded and searched the area.
“Shortly before 13:40hrs a 34-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon, criminal damage and racially aggravated affray. He was taken into custody.
“There were no reports of any injuries. A knife was recovered at the scene.”
National Jewish Assembly vice chairman Laurence Julius told The Sun: “Sadly this was an incident waiting to happen and miraculously no one was hurt.
“There has been a massive surge in antisemitic incidents – some 2093 reported by the CST from 7th October to 19th December.
“The regular marches have been full of chants of Intifada and Jihad – which is incitement.
“Social media is spreading false news and hate.
“The government and police have to crack down before people get killed on the streets of London.”