Police say the man suspected of stabbing five people in Amsterdam is a 30-year-old from Ukraine.
Investigators say he hailed from the Donetsk region in the east of the country – which has largely operated as a breakaway state from Ukraine for more than a decade and was unlawfully annexed by Russia in 2022.
Panic struck Sint Nicolaasstraat on Thursday as a knifeman stabbed five people: a 67-year-old American woman, a 69-year-old American man, a 26-year-old Polish man, a 73-year-old Belgian woman and a 19-year-old local woman.
But the suspect was apprehended after a brave British tourist chased him down and tackled him to the ground, kneeling on him to prevent his escape.
Police said today the 30-year-old suspect will be brought before an examining magistrate of the court in Amsterdam on Tuesday, who will rule on whether he can continue to be detained ahead of trial.
In a statement, Dutch investigators said: ‘The police have now established the identity of the suspect in the stabbing. He is a 30-year-old man of Ukrainian nationality, from the Donetsk region (Eastern Ukraine).
‘This suspect will be brought before the examining magistrate of the court in Amsterdam on Tuesday 1 April, who will decide on a possible extension of the pre-trial detention.
‘The investigation team is still busy with the investigation. We can therefore not answer any other questions at this time.’
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
Detectives say the suspect checked into a hotel in Amsterdam on March 26, and used several knives in the attack.
After knifing five people, seemingly at random, he was apprehended in nearby Gravenstraat shortly after the incident as he sought to make his escape, injuring his leg in the process. Police say they are still trying to identify a motive.
Dramatic CCTV footage shows the man sprinting through a narrow street in pursuit of the attacker.
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'Hero Brit' is praised for tackling knifeman who stabbed five people including two Americans during Amsterdam rampage
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.
Eyewitnesses spoke of seeing a ‘knife of at least 10 centimetres sticking out’ of a girl’s back, between her shoulders.
The 26-year-old Polish man injured in the attack has been discharged from hospital. The other victims remain in hospital in a stable condition.
The British man was yesterday 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 British 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.’
Mayor of Amsterdam Femke Halsema (pictured) said the person who apprehended the suspect was a ‘very modest British man’
Dramatic footage showed the individual pinning down the attacker and restraining him from any further assaults on the busy street
Witnesses said that the attacker was overwhelmed by bystanders before officers arrived on the scene.
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.
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 heroic citizen can count on massive praise.’
The knife rampage near the historic Dam Central Square left five injured, including two Americans on Thursday 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
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.’