A man has been arrested after a violent stabbing attack in north Belfast in which bystanders intervened to overpower the knifeman as he attacked a victim on the ground — with witnesses telling arriving police officers the attacker was “trying to cut his head off.”
Police were called to Kinnaird Avenue at approximately 10.30pm on Monday 8 June following reports of a serious stabbing. Disturbing footage circulating on social media appeared to show a man being stabbed repeatedly to the head before bystanders stepped in to intervene. An eyewitness told the Belfast Telegraph that “three men, one armed with a hurl, got the fella with the knife off the victim” — describing how local residents physically tackled the attacker to stop the assault.
The victim was taken to hospital with serious injuries. One man has been arrested in connection with the incident and remains in police custody.
A PSNI spokesperson said: “Police in north Belfast are currently in attendance at Kinnaird Avenue following the report of a stabbing incident shortly after 10.30pm on Monday 8th June. A man has been arrested in relation to the incident and is in police custody while a second man has been taken to hospital with serious injuries. Officers will remain in the area to conduct their enquiries.”
A local resident described scenes of “chaos” during the attack. The intervention of members of the public is widely credited with preventing a potentially fatal outcome.
Police are asking anyone who witnessed the incident or captured dashcam or CCTV footage in the area to contact officers at Tennent Street on 101, quoting reference number 1654 08/06/26.
