This is the incredible moment a British tourist chased down and tackled a knifeman after he stabbed five people in Amsterdam.
Dramatic CCTV footage shows the man sprinting through a narrow street in pursuit of the attacker yesterday afternoon.
The tourist, since dubbed the ‘hero of the Dam’, then pinned down the suspect with his knee to prevent him from carrying out any further assaults.
Five people, including two Americans, were injured in the horrific knife rampage near the historic Dam Central Square on Thursday.
Eyewitnesses spoke of seeing a ‘knife of at least 10 centimetres sticking out’ of a girl’s back, between her shoulders.
The British man was this afternoon recognised for his bravery by the mayor of Amsterdam, who gave him an award for his ‘heroic’ actions.
In a message on Instagram, mayor Femke Halsema wrote: ‘This afternoon I will talk to the citizen who managed to overpower the suspect. To hear his story and to be able to thank him for his heroic act.
‘He is a very modest man,’ she added in an interview with Dutch TV channel AT5.
‘He has no desire to become famous. He is now mainly concerned with the victims, he feels responsible for them.’
This is the incredible moment a British tourist chased down and tackled a knifeman after he stabbed five people in Amsterdam
The heroic Brit is seen pinning the knifeman to the floor in dramatic footage
Dramatic footage showed the individual pinning down the attacker and restraining him from any further assaults on the busy street
Earlier today police revealed that the suspect used multiple knives during the horrific attack and chose his victims at random.
But they have so far have declined to give any indication as to a motive for the stabbings, saying their investigation was under way.
Witnesses said that the attacker was overwhelmed by bystanders before officers arrived on the scene.
The suspect, who has been arrested, was subsequently taken to hospital with a leg injury.
Local reports claim the man who tackled him spoke English and was believed to be British, but police have not confirmed where he is from. They have only confirmed that he is not a Dutch national.
A spokesperson for the Amsterdam force praised his actions as ‘heroic’, according to De Telegraaf.
A police spokesman also told AD: ‘He did a great job.
‘We’re very proud of him, but we also want to point out that you need to be very careful if you want to make a citizen’s arrest. Most people are not trained for this sort of thing.’
Maarten Brinkm, head of the ACP police union, said: ‘A big thumbs-up for the decisive action of this hero.
The knife rampage near the historic Dam Central Square left five injured, including two Americans yesterday afternoon
Police officers gather not far from the area after a stabbing near Dam Square in central Amsterdam
Police officers stand behind a cordoned off area after the stabbing near Dam Square
Police cordoned off a large area around the Royal Palace in the central Dam Square to allow an emergency helicopter to land
‘The heroic citizen can count on massive praise.’
His actions sparked waves of praise on social media, with one comment saying: ‘Respect for this man. We need more heroes like this.
‘A true hero, despite the chaos this man managed to hold the attacker down until the police arrived.’
Another said: ‘Hero, this man deserves a medal!’
The suspect was tackled to the ground outside the Febo fast food restaurant, according to reports.
An employee told The Independent: ‘Apparently some guy kicked him and broke his ankle. He got kicked down [by some bystanders] because he tried to run away.
‘I think somebody kicked him in the face as well. It sounds like it was well deserved.’
This is a breaking news story – more to follow