Glasgow: Man shot dead by police after stabbing attack in city centre

A stabbing attack at a hotel in Glasgow city centre has left a number of people injured and a police officer in a critical condition.

A male suspect was shot dead by an armed police officer at the scene of the incident at the city’s Park Inn hotel.

Six people are in hospital for treatment to their injuries, including a police officer who suffered knife wounds. His condition is said to be critical but stable.

Police said the incident was now contained and did not present a threat to the wider public.

Armed police have sealed off West George Street and paramedics in hazmat suits were seen treating a person on a blood-stained pavement.

Footage of the incident showed armed police outside a building as a number of people ran out with their hands up.

Eyewitnesses told Sky News they saw people, bloodied, being taken on stretchers from the Park Inn hotel, which had been housing a number of asylum seekers and refugees.

Louisa, who was in a building on West George Street, told Sky News: “I saw people being treated with blood on the ground.

“I saw people running out of the hotel with the police shouting ‘put your hands up, put your hands up, come out’.

“There were police cars, ambulances all over the street and they cordoned it off. Police were shouting to people in other buildings near the Park Inn hotel to stay inside and not come into the street.

“There were quite a number of people coming out with their hands up, running down the steps of the hotel. I saw people with blood on them, all over the ground.”

It had previously been reported that up to three people had died, but police have yet to confirm any further fatalities.

Sky News’ home affairs correspondent Mark White said: “There are reports, in addition to the suspect who was shot dead by police, of fatalities.

“I’m not able to put a precise number on that. It was mentioned three, but we don’t know if that includes the alleged armed attacker as well.

“At this moment in time we can say there are reports of fatalities but there is no precise number on that.”

Sky News’ Scotland correspondent, James Matthews, said refugees and asylum seekers had been housed at the hotel over recent months to protect them during the coronavirus pandemic.

“They were decanted from the accommodation they were in into hotels, such as the Park Inn,” he said.

“I spoke to someone inside the hotel and he said he was sleeping, it was 10 to 1pm, and he heard screaming, males screaming and females screaming, he was on the third floor.

“He said he headed to reception via the lift and the elevator was covered in blood. He got out to the main area and saw a male receptionist who had suffered an injury, was covered in blood and was gasping for air.

“He said there was a second male receptionist on the exterior steps of the hotel and he was also injured and was gasping for air.

“The police were called, armed police officers turned out in force and the perpetrator was shot dead within the building.”

Craig Milroy said he witnessed the aftermath of the incident from an office building nearby, and that he had seen four people taken away in ambulances.

He told the PA news agency: “I saw a man lying on the ground, of African descent, with no shoes on. He was on the ground with someone holding his side – I don’t know if it was a bullet wound, a stab wound, or what it was.”

Mr Milroy said the man was one of the four taken away by medics and that he believed him to be a victim of an attack.

“After that we saw commotion, ambulances further up and we saw armed police all running into the hotel next to the Society Room,” he added.

“We were still standing outside, after that the police all came down, the riot police and triage team told us to go back in and lock the door.”

Assistant Chief Constable Steve Johnson said: “We are continuing to deal with the incident on West George Street and would ask people to avoid the area.

“However, I would like to reassure the public that this is a contained incident and that the wider public is not at risk. Armed police officers attended the incident and I can confirm that a male suspect was shot by an armed officer.

“I would like to reassure the public that at this time we are not looking for anyone else in relation to this incident.

“The individual who was shot by armed police has died. Six other people are in hospital for treatment to their injuries including a police officer, who is in a critical but stable condition.”

David Hamilton, of the Scottish Police Federation, told Sky News the incident would automatically prompt an internal police review into the circumstances, while the use by an officer of a firearm would lead to an investigation held by an independent commissioner

He said he had been in contact with the injured officer’s family.

“This is horrific. This is something you dread as a police officer,” he said.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said she was “deeply alarmed” by the incident, while Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon described it as “truly dreadful” and urged people to stay away from the area.

(c) Sky News 2020: Glasgow: Man shot dead by police after stabbing attack in city centre