Met Commissioner Defends Use of Force in Golders Green Terror Arrest

*TL;DR Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley says the officers’ use of extreme force on the Golders Green stabbing suspect was justified, despite Green Party leader Zack Polanski’s criticism.

Context On Wednesday, a 45‑year‑old man stabbed two Jewish men in Golders Green, north London. The Metropolitan Police (the Met) declared the attack a terrorist incident. Two officers, unarmed, confronted the suspect, who brandished a knife and resisted. Green Party leader Zack Polanski reposted a social‑media claim that the officers violently kicked a mentally ill man who was already incapacitated by a Taser.

Key Facts - Sir Mark Rowley wrote to Polanski, calling his post “inaccurate and misinformed” and saying it could undermine public confidence in police. - Rowley told BBC Breakfast that the “extreme force” used was “completely reasonable” because the suspect refused to drop the knife, continued to pose a threat, and the officers feared he might be carrying an explosive device. - Body‑worn camera footage shows officers repeatedly ordering the suspect to “get down on the ground” and “drop the knife” before deploying a Taser and then kicking him in the head while trying to wrest the weapon. - The suspect, Essa Suleiman, has been charged with attempted murder and will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday morning. - The Independent Office for Police Conduct has opened a mandatory referral to investigate injuries sustained by the suspect during the arrest. - Green Party officials, including deputy leader Rachel Millward, have defended the police, while others in the party and Liberal Democrat MP Luke Taylor have condemned Polanski’s repost.

What It Means Rowley’s defence underscores the Met’s stance that high‑risk arrests may require “full‑contact” tactics, especially when a terrorist motive is involved. The forthcoming court appearance and the police conduct inquiry will test whether the force used meets legal standards and public expectations. Watch for the court’s ruling on the attempted‑murder charge and the outcome of the Independent Office for Police Conduct investigation.