Pc tells of wrestling mosque knifeman to ground

Pc Adam Koch, of West Midlands Police, suffered knife wounds to his back and side as he grappled with the man in a Birmingham mosque.

A 32-year-old local man, believed to be of Somali descent, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following the attack late on Saturday.

He remains in a secure mental health unit under assessment until deemed fit to be questioned, West Midlands Police said.

Pc Koch was one of the officers called to Madrassa Qasim Ul Uloom mosque in Washwood Heath Road at 11pm on Saturday after three worshippers were stabbed.

On arriving they found the suspect in a side room and used a Taser on him; however, it had no effect and the attacker then lunged at Pc Koch “with a commando-style knife”.

Speaking from his hospital bed yesterday, the 31-year-old police constable said: “He charged towards me with the knife.

“I can remember falling to the floor and wrestling with the man and he tried thrusting the knife into my back.

“I’m waiting to see the damage to my stab vest as I’m convinced it’s helped save my life.

“I managed to grab hold of his wrist and eventually disarm him; it was only then that my partner told me I’d been stabbed and blood was running from my shirt.

“I didn’t feel anything at the time: the adrenaline took over and my focus was purely on stopping this man causing any more damage.

“Thankfully my injuries weren’t as bad as they could have been and I hope to be back on the streets within a few weeks.”

He added: “As soon as I’m back on my feet I intend to visit the mosque and ask the imam to pass on my gratitude to the worshippers who put their own safety in jeopardy to assist me.

“In the end it was a great community effort to overpower the man and arrest him.”

A 28-year-old man, who suffered multiple stab wounds, and a 36-year-old man with a single stab wound to the thigh both remain in stable condition in hospital. A third man, who suffered a hand injury, is recovering at home.

Police have said the attack was not a hate crime.