Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has declared he will not permit 'misinformed' individuals, such as Green Party leader Zack Polanski, to 'undermine' the heroic officers who apprehended the Golders Green terror suspect. The Scotland Yard chief confirmed he has met with the officers involved in the arrest of Essa Suleiman in north London, noting they were left 'shaken' by the incident.
Sir Mark Defends Officers' Actions
Defending the officers' response as entirely appropriate under the circumstances, Sir Mark stated: 'Unless you've been in that moment where you're scared stiff and you're confronting somebody so dangerous, it's hard to put yourself in that situation.' He wrote a letter to Mr Polanski on Thursday, accusing him of spreading 'misinformed' rhetoric after the Green Party leader shared a post on X claiming the officers were 'violently kicking a mentally ill man in the head.'
'I need my officers to have confidence to tackle the most difficult and dangerous individuals,' Sir Mark said in a television interview. 'If an eminent person wants to thoughtlessly step into that and undermine their confidence to act, then I'm going to deal with that.'
Political Reactions
Labour MP for Coventry South, Zarah Sultana, criticised the police chief, accusing him of having a 'brass neck' and stating: 'As Commissioner, Mark Rowley’s job is to serve the public, not to make political attacks.' Sir Mark countered: 'I’m not intervening in politics. He was intervening in operational policing. He has stepped into operational policing with his criticism and inaccuracies, and I need to put that straight.'
Details of the Incident
Bodycam footage from the Golders Green incident shows the alleged terrorist walking towards officers while refusing to drop a knife. The officers bravely intervened to stop him. Terror suspect Essa Suleiman, a British national born in Somalia, was tasered and arrested while carrying the blade and a backpack. Sir Mark explained that officers were uncertain whether he was carrying explosives in his bag or heavy coat, given his refusal to drop the knife.
When asked if the officers' behaviour was 'acceptable', Sir Mark told LBC: 'I sat down with the officers on Wednesday afternoon, a couple of hours after the attack, and you could still see they were shaken. They'd taken on a terrorist, and as that incident developed they were afraid, because he didn't comply at all, even after being dropped to the floor by a taser. They were afraid that he might have an explosive device on him from the way he's behaving. He didn't in the end, and of course they used a lot of force.'
Charges Filed
The Golders Green terror suspect has been charged with the attempted murder of two Jewish men. Essa Suleiman, 45, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday on two counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of a bladed article in a public place. He was also charged with attempted murder in relation to a separate incident earlier that day in Great Dover Street, south London, where a man was stabbed but suffered minor injuries.
Polanski's Controversial Post
Mr Polanski shared a tweet on X that described the officers' actions as 'violently kicking a mentally ill man in the head when he was already incapacitated by Taser.' This led to accusations that Polanski was 'more concerned' about the suspected terrorist's wellbeing than his victims. Sir Mark fired off a strongly worded public letter, blasting the politician for showing a 'casual disregard for the incredibly challenging and dangerous work police officers do to protect the public.'
'I am disappointed because it is this kind of inaccurate and misinformed commentary... that is contributing to the rising tensions we are seeing in society and undermines officer confidence to act,' Sir Mark wrote. 'Apprehending violent and dangerous criminals is a full contact and messy task which may appear shocking to observers with little experience of policing in the real world.' He added: 'Your decision to criticise these officers, using your public profile and reach will have a chilling effect.'
Wider Political Criticism
Polanski has faced widespread criticism from politicians across the spectrum. Tory MP Neil O'Brien said: 'As usual, the Greens' sympathies are with the terrorist rather than the brave police officers stopping him.' Labour's Jonathan Hinder tweeted: 'This is so telling. Polanski hates the brave police officers who stopped this. He's more concerned about the anti-Semitic terrorist with a knife in his hand!' Home Office minister Mike Tapp described himself as 'disgusted' and claimed the 'Green Party has hit a new low.' Labour MP David Taylor added: 'Zack Polanski's sympathy for a marauding anti-Semitic terrorist rather than his victims shows why his Green Party is so dangerous.'
Response from Green Party Leaders
Following the terror attack, Mr Polanski wrote on social media: 'Horrendous attack in Golders Green. Thinking of the victims, their families and everyone who will once again be shaken by this attack. Thank you to all of those involved with the emergency response.' His deputy leader Mothin Ali said: 'Devastating news from Golders Green this morning. My prayers are with everyone affected. We are in debt to the emergency services, including Hatzola, for their immediate response.'
Author JK Rowling criticised both leaders for failing to mention that the victims were Jewish. She said: 'Why do leaders of the Greens have such difficulty naming the particular demographic likely to be most 'shaken' and 'affected' by two men from their community having their throats cut on a London street?' It also emerged that Mr Ali encouraged legal action against his own party after local election candidates were suspended following accusations of anti-Semitism.
