Man Arrested in ‘Brutal’ Stabbing in Northern Ireland, Police Say

The police in Northern Ireland have arrested a man on suspicion of attempted murder after a knife attack in Belfast on Monday night. The episode prompted condemnation from political leaders and calls for restraint amid heightened tensions over violence in the United Kingdom.

The arrested suspect, who the police said is in his 30s and Sudanese, is alleged to have attacked a man in his 40s. The victim is currently in the hospital in serious condition, the police said. The police had originally said that the attacker was believed to be Somali before releasing an updated statement at midday on Tuesday.

Ryan Henderson, assistant chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, said in a statement that the police were still working to determine a motive.

{snip}

Graphic video footage of the attack spread quickly on social media and prompted outrage from some commenters. The clip showed a man mounted on the chest of another whose face and neck are covered in blood. The attacker moves his hands near the neck of victim. A bystander can then be seen approaching the attacker and battering him with a hurley, a long wooden stick used in the Irish sport of hurling.

{snip}

The police said that the knife attack occurred around 10:30 p.m. on Monday outside an apartment complex in northern Belfast and that officers arrived at the scene within minutes. They did not identify the stabbing victim, who they said had suffered significant injuries to his face, neck and back.

Despite the calls for restraint, a number of far-right activists posted video of the stabbing, using the footage to press anti-immigrant views.

{snip}

Local leaders in Northern Ireland issued a joint statement saying that they were “committed to ensuring that violence and hatred in any form will not be allowed to divide our communities.”

{snip}