Sudesh Amman (20) Was
Under Close Personal Surveillance (CPS) By Armed Police When He Was Shot Dead.
A 19-year-old student from Streatham, who did not want to be named, said: "I was crossing the road when I saw a man with a machete and silver canisters on his chest being chased by what I assume was an undercover police officer, as they were in civilian clothing.
The man shot dead by police following a stabbing attack in London was a convicted terrorist who had recently been released from prison. It is understood that Sudesh Amman, who was jailed for possessing and distributing terrorist documents in December 2018, had been freed in the past six weeks. Two people were stabbed in the attack in Streatham in south London this afternoon which police believe to be "Islamist-related". Scotland Yard said armed officers shot dead a man as part of a "proactive counter-terrorism operation" on Streatham High Road. Scotland Yard also revealed that armed officers had been following the suspect on foot as part of a “proactive counter-terrorism surveillance operation” on Streatham High Road.
Three victims were taken to a south London hospital, with one man's condition said to be life-threatening and one woman being treated for non-life- threatening injuries.
Police said a second woman received minor injuries believed to have been caused by glass following the discharge of a police firearm.
Sam Armstrong, from the Henry Jackson Society, said Amman was thought to have been staying in a bail hostel.
He said the society had warned in December that Amman was due for release within the next two months and should not be let out of prison.
Amman, who at the time of his sentencing was 18 years old and had an address in Harrow, north-west London, had been jailed for three years and four months.
A device found strapped to the body of the suspect was a hoax, the Metropolitan Police added in a statement.
It said: "The situation has been contained and officers from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command are now leading an investigation into the incident.
*"The incident was quickly declared as a terrorist incident and we believe it to be Islamist-related."
A 19-year-old student from Streatham, who did not want to be named, said: "I was crossing the road when I saw a man with a machete and silver canisters on his chest being chased by what I assume was an undercover police officer, as they were in civilian clothing.
 |
| Sudesh Amman (20) Was Under Close Police Surveillance When Shot Dead |
"After that, I ran into the library to get to safety.
"From the library, I saw a load of ambulances and armed police officers arrive on the scene."
This evening, forensics officers could be seen near shops on the road examining the area for clues.
Families could be heard asking police how they would be able to access their homes in light of the incident.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he will announce plans tomorrow for "fundamental changes to the system for dealing with those convicted of terrorism offences" following the attack.
He added: "Following the awful events at Fishmongers' Hall in December, we have moved quickly to introduce a package of measures to strengthen every element of our response to terrorism - including longer prison sentences and more money for the police."
In a statement, London Mayor Sadiq Khan praised the emergency services as "the best of us", adding: "Terrorists seek to divide us and to destroy our way of life - here in London we will never let them succeed."
The London Ambulance Service said the first medics arrived at the scene of the attack four minutes after being called just before 2pm.
The British Red Cross said it was ready to make the UK Solidarity Fund available to those affected by the attack.
The fund was set up in 2017 following the attacks in Manchester and London and offers financial support to victims of terror attacks in need anywhere in the UK.
NEWS UPDATE: 11:40am
The chief secretary to the Treasury has rejected the idea that
cuts to prison and probation services have made it harder to rehabilitate or
monitor terrorism suspects after a man who left prison days ago was shot dead
by police after he stabbed two people in London.
Rishi Sunak declined to reveal the
measures Boris Johnson or the home secretary, Priti Patel, will announce on
Monday after the attack by Sudesh Amman
on Streatham High Road.
The 20-year-old had been freed after serving half of his sentence of more than three years for the possession and distribution of extremist material and was under active police surveillance. The attack left one person initially in a life-threatening condition. After a similar attack in late November, when former terrorist prisoner Usman Khan stabbed and killed two people in London Bridge, Johnson promised longer sentences and moves to prevent the early release of convicted terrorists. On Sunday night the prime minister said he would announce further plans for fundamental changes to the system for dealing with those convicted of terrorism offences. The London mayor said he was alarmed that Amman was freed even though he was considered a sufficient danger to be followed by armed police. “Why didn’t the probation service, the prison service, properly punish and reform him?” Sadiq Khan told BBC1’s Breakfast. “And also, why was he allowed to be released if the authorities knew he was a danger?” Speaking earlier, on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, he said the attack was “clearly foreseeable”. “But for an inch this way or that way, but for the brilliance of the medics and the speed of the police, there would have been two fatalities and many more,” Khan said. “And that’s one of the reasons why I’m not just frustrated but I’m angry at the changes made in the past and the lack of progress in making the changes we were promised in November.” Sunak gave no details of what extra measures would be announced by Johnson. “Today he will outline some more, and in regard to all of this, people should be under no illusion about our determination to keep everybody safe,” he told Breakfast. Sunak denied that cuts to prison and probation services were a key part of the problem. In December the former chief inspector of prisons, Nick Hardwick, said the service had been “haemorrhaging experienced staff and struggling with chaotic reforms”. Sunak said: “The counter-terrorism budget, which is what we’re dealing with here, has actually been increased every year for the last five or six years. “It now up 30% or 40% from where it was several years ago. And we just announced a 10% increase, taking to almost £1bn for the forthcoming year. He said the government was doubling the number of specific counter-terrorism probation officers and creating new places in probationary hostels. “This is all forming part of the plans that we’re putting in place to keep people safe.”
Later, on Sky News, Sunak said the release of terrorists was dictated by the law. “In terms of changing when people are released, that does require an act of parliament – it requires a new law,” he said. “And we’ve committed to it being one of the first acts we will bring forward, within 100 days, it will be exactly that. No attacks are acceptable, which is why we’re acting as quickly as we can to put in place a new set of measures.” In his interview, Khan said the courts needed more powers to deal with such cases. “The question that I’m asking is: why was there a need for this man to be under the close supervision that he was, with an armed team?” he said. “If the authorities knew he was a danger, why didn’t the judge have the tools at his or her disposal to give this person a sentence commensurate with what he was accused of doing?” Mobile phone footage of the incident showed officers wearing plain clothes arriving on the scene at high speed, firing about five gunshots and killing Amman outside a branch of the chemist Boots. They were carrying pistols that are normally used by surveillance officers. Police continued investigations overnight, with search warrants being carried out at two addresses in south London and Bishop’s Stortford. Amman pledged allegiance to Islamic State in messages to his girlfriend at the time he was jailed, and said he wanted to carry out terrorist attacks. He wrote to her: “If you can’t make a bomb because family, friends or spies are watching or suspecting you, take a knife, molotov, sound bombs or a car at night and attack.” Comments from police officers at the time suggested there were serious concerns about Amman’s determination to die as a “martyr”. The acting commander, Alexis Boon, then head of the Metropolitan police’s counter-terrorism command, said Amman had a “fierce interest in violence and martyrdom”. In another echo of Khan’s attack, Amman was wearing a fake suicide vest, described by some witnesses as containing canister-like objects. Police said they were able to establish quickly it was a hoax device after the attacker had been shot. ENDS:
The 20-year-old had been freed after serving half of his sentence of more than three years for the possession and distribution of extremist material and was under active police surveillance. The attack left one person initially in a life-threatening condition. After a similar attack in late November, when former terrorist prisoner Usman Khan stabbed and killed two people in London Bridge, Johnson promised longer sentences and moves to prevent the early release of convicted terrorists. On Sunday night the prime minister said he would announce further plans for fundamental changes to the system for dealing with those convicted of terrorism offences. The London mayor said he was alarmed that Amman was freed even though he was considered a sufficient danger to be followed by armed police. “Why didn’t the probation service, the prison service, properly punish and reform him?” Sadiq Khan told BBC1’s Breakfast. “And also, why was he allowed to be released if the authorities knew he was a danger?” Speaking earlier, on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, he said the attack was “clearly foreseeable”. “But for an inch this way or that way, but for the brilliance of the medics and the speed of the police, there would have been two fatalities and many more,” Khan said. “And that’s one of the reasons why I’m not just frustrated but I’m angry at the changes made in the past and the lack of progress in making the changes we were promised in November.” Sunak gave no details of what extra measures would be announced by Johnson. “Today he will outline some more, and in regard to all of this, people should be under no illusion about our determination to keep everybody safe,” he told Breakfast. Sunak denied that cuts to prison and probation services were a key part of the problem. In December the former chief inspector of prisons, Nick Hardwick, said the service had been “haemorrhaging experienced staff and struggling with chaotic reforms”. Sunak said: “The counter-terrorism budget, which is what we’re dealing with here, has actually been increased every year for the last five or six years. “It now up 30% or 40% from where it was several years ago. And we just announced a 10% increase, taking to almost £1bn for the forthcoming year. He said the government was doubling the number of specific counter-terrorism probation officers and creating new places in probationary hostels. “This is all forming part of the plans that we’re putting in place to keep people safe.”
Later, on Sky News, Sunak said the release of terrorists was dictated by the law. “In terms of changing when people are released, that does require an act of parliament – it requires a new law,” he said. “And we’ve committed to it being one of the first acts we will bring forward, within 100 days, it will be exactly that. No attacks are acceptable, which is why we’re acting as quickly as we can to put in place a new set of measures.” In his interview, Khan said the courts needed more powers to deal with such cases. “The question that I’m asking is: why was there a need for this man to be under the close supervision that he was, with an armed team?” he said. “If the authorities knew he was a danger, why didn’t the judge have the tools at his or her disposal to give this person a sentence commensurate with what he was accused of doing?” Mobile phone footage of the incident showed officers wearing plain clothes arriving on the scene at high speed, firing about five gunshots and killing Amman outside a branch of the chemist Boots. They were carrying pistols that are normally used by surveillance officers. Police continued investigations overnight, with search warrants being carried out at two addresses in south London and Bishop’s Stortford. Amman pledged allegiance to Islamic State in messages to his girlfriend at the time he was jailed, and said he wanted to carry out terrorist attacks. He wrote to her: “If you can’t make a bomb because family, friends or spies are watching or suspecting you, take a knife, molotov, sound bombs or a car at night and attack.” Comments from police officers at the time suggested there were serious concerns about Amman’s determination to die as a “martyr”. The acting commander, Alexis Boon, then head of the Metropolitan police’s counter-terrorism command, said Amman had a “fierce interest in violence and martyrdom”. In another echo of Khan’s attack, Amman was wearing a fake suicide vest, described by some witnesses as containing canister-like objects. Police said they were able to establish quickly it was a hoax device after the attacker had been shot. ENDS:
No comments:
Post a Comment