A knifeman who was tackled by a hero British tourist in Amsterdam acted with terrorist intent and likely would have stabbed more victims, Dutch public prosecutors have said.
Thursday’s knife rampage sparked panic in the streets of the Dutch capital after a 30-year-old from Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine, carried out a seemingly random knifing attack in the streets around Dam Square.
The attacker will remain in custody for at least two more weeks, suspected of ‘five counts of attempted murder or manslaughter with a terrorist intent’, prosecutors said in a statement.
Carrying multiple knives, the man attacked people around the square before being overpowered by a mysterious British man, believed to be in his 30s, who has since been dubbed the ‘Hero of Dam’.
The victims were a 67-year-old woman and a 69-year-old man, both from the United States, a 26-year-old man from Poland, a 73-year-old Belgian woman and a 19-year-old woman from Amsterdam.
Four of the victims remain in hospital but their condition is stable, the prosecutors said.
Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema thanked the British tourist, who has remained anonymous, for his ‘heroic act’ that likely prevented more people being attacked.
The attacker was himself wounded in the leg and transferred to the medical wing of a detention unit in The Hague, where he is now being held in solitary confinement.
A knifeman who was tackled by a hero British tourist in Amsterdam acted with terrorist intent and likely would have stabbed more victims, Dutch public prosecutors have said
Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema thanked the British tourist (pictured), who has remained anonymous, for his ‘heroic act’ that likely prevented more people being attacked
He has not told authorities anything about his motives for the attack although local media reported that he has confessed to the stabbings.
It comes after an expert told the MailOnline that the British man who sprinted after the knifeman ‘almost certainly has a military background’.
He impressively single-handedly captured the Ukrainian assailant moments after his frenzied attack on passers-by in the Dutch capital.
He sprinted after the attacker and kicked his ankle, sending him crashing to the ground, then sat on him until police arrived.
The Brit’s cool, calm bravery was later rewarded when the Mayor of Amsterdam gave him a hero’s badge – but he chose to remain anonymous, thinking only of the victims.
Now a former member of the Parachute Regiment who saw the footage says he is convinced the swift-acting hero has some form of special forces, military or police training.
Paul Biddiss studied CCTV footage of the moment the Brit captured the knifeman and highlighted the five tell-tale signs that he has been specially trained.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Paul said: ‘There’s no doubt in my mind he has received some form of training. That could be military, it could be police, or it could be he’s involved in close protection work.
‘In the opening sequence, six seconds in, you can see he is extraordinarily fit and the speed with which he chases down his attacker suggests that he takes part in regular fitness training.
‘That in itself doesn’t prove he is from a military background, but then 12 seconds in the way he apprehends the knifeman and has him pinned to the ground shows his background.
‘And let’s remember this man had just stabbed five people. But he [the hero] is so calm, so controlled and so unfazed by his situation. It’s inconceivable that he hasn’t been trained to do that.
‘Then after 18 seconds you can see he is disabling the attacker by carefully exerting pressure on the wrists, elbows and shoulder.
‘At the 24 second mark it appears to me that he has taken his belt off, which is something you are taught in the military – to improvise and use whatever you have on your person to restrain and nullify a threat.’
A former member of the Parachute Regiment who saw the CCTV footage says he is convinced the hero, seen here sitting on the attacker until police arrived, has been trained to deal with such situations
Police officers walk under the tape of the cordoned-off area following the attack
The street in Amsterdam where five people were injured
Paul, who was in the Parachute Regiment for 24 years, also works in counter-security and intelligence, and his services have even been used on TV dramas: he helped out on the recent Sky blockbuster The Day Of The Jackal, starring Eddie Redmayne, and last week he met Queen Camilla when she visited the set of smash ITV series Trigger Point.
Paul added of the real-life drama in Amsterdam: ‘From what I can see, he’s using prone restraint techniques, taught in tactical control and restraint training.
‘He’s also controlling the attacker’s pressure points which means he can’t move and he’s in complete control of the situation, using his full body weight by sitting on him.
‘By taking him down on to his stomach and putting his hands behind his back, he’s made sure he can’t wriggle about.
‘He’s put his weight on the pressure points at the wrist, elbow and shoulder and importantly he has both his hands free to deal with any struggling.
‘He appears to have taken his belt off just in case he needs that as a further restraint until more help arrived but because the technique is good you can see the assailant is subdued.
‘He’s put the man in an arm lock where his arm is at such an angle that he can’t move it and this creates pain which can be used to control an assailant.’
Paul also highlighted that the man was ‘clearly in good shape’ and said: ‘He’s got a good level of fitness and that’s required for those who work in the police or security sector.
‘You have to keep your heart rate under control to maintain the ability to perform such physical skills effectively and control the situation and your surroundings.
‘Normally, as your heart rate rises, the skill level lowers, and the ability to remain focused and in complete control deteriorates.
The knife rampage near the historic Dam Central Square left five injured, including two Americans
The Ukrainian knifeman brought havoc to the tranquil streets of the picturesque Dutch canal city last Thursday
‘The higher the stress level the lower the skill level and the duller the response time – but this guy reacts super-fast, as you can see.
‘It’s also interesting that he has asked for no personal details to be revealed, which would also suggest some security background.
‘My theory is he could be ex-military working in the security industry as these techniques are taught as part of the training course.’
The Ukrainian knifeman brought havoc to the tranquil streets of the picturesque Dutch canal city last Thursday.
On Friday, Femke Halsema, Amsterdam’s mayor, thanked the British man for his actions and awarded him the city’s heldenspeld – which means hero’s badge – for bravery at her official residence.
‘He is a very modest British man,’ she told the Amsterdam news channel AT5.
‘He has no desire to become famous. He is now mainly concerned with the victims; he feels responsible for them.’
She said the tourist had shown ‘great instinct’ by overpowering the suspect moments after he had stabbed the fifth victim.
‘This man made a decision in a split second, which is truly exceptional and for which there should be a lot of appreciation,’ she added.
Ms Halsema said all of them were in a stable condition, adding: ‘Everything is being done to determine the identity of the perpetrator.’
Police officers gather not far from the area after a stabbing near Dam Square in central Amsterdam
Police sectioned off a large area around the Royal Palace in the central Dam Square to allow an emergency helicopter to land
Police officers stand behind a cordoned off area after the stabbing
An Amsterdam police spokesman told the Dutch news outlet AD the ‘heroic’ British man did a ‘great job’ performing a ‘rare citizen’s arrest’.
An onlooker told MailOnline: ‘It was horrific, the woman was on the ground screaming and when she rolled over, I saw the knife in her back.
‘The man who we know now was the hero rushed off after the attacker while his friend stayed behind to help the woman.
‘The guy who was helping her clearly knew what he was doing, he looked to have first aid training and was reassuring the woman and her husband while they were waiting for the ambulance crew.
‘There was something about the way the British guy and his friend reacted that made me think they were not ordinary tourists.’
Another witness told MailOnline: ‘This guy was a hero; he stopped the man so quickly and professionally.
‘I was watching from the sandwich shop where I work, and he kicked the man’s ankles and when he fell on the floor he sat on him to stop him moving.
‘The way he remained calm and cool made it obvious to me he was either a policeman or security; maybe a soldier.’
The knife-wielder himself was injured in the leg and was admitted to the infirmary of the prison in Scheveningen. He will appear in court in Amsterdam in a closed hearing on Tuesday.
