Latest news with #YasminMechemWhitfield
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Heroic police officer confronted samurai-wielding murderer Marcus Monzo with just a baton
A police officer recalled the moment he ran after a psychotic swordsman with just a baton to prevent more people from being injured or killed. Inspector Moloy Campbell said there was 'no time for fear' as lives were on the line when Marcus Monzo killed 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin during a 20-minute rampage in Hainault, east London on 30 April last year. Before Mr Campbell's arrival, Monzo had repeatedly struck Pc Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield with a samurai sword and was still on the loose. Mr Campbell told the PA news agency: 'As we were heading to the incident my sergeant was driving and I was in the operator seat. 'As we heard that transmission 'police officer stabbed, police officer stabbed' I turned to him and said: 'Just get us there, don't speed up, don't let red mist get to you. We need to get there and get control of this incident'.' He said his thoughts were entirely focused on the need to 'preserve life', including that of his officers on the ground. Mr Campbell took the decision to confront Monzo in a car park and ran at him with baton drawn in terrifying scenes captured on police body-worn video. He said: 'There was no time for fear. That is not a reflection of bravery of me or anyone else, it's a fact, there was no time for that. 'There is a job to be done and there was an objective that needed to be met and that was, as I say, the preservation of life. 'At that point there was no help coming. Armed police were coming but they were 10, 15 minutes away and that's far too long in that situation. 'That's not the fault of my colleagues, it's just the way it played out on that morning. 'It was a case of doing what I thought needed to be done. It was a decision of do we contain the defendant or do we confront. 'The decision was to confront because I felt had we done anything else then more members of the public and potentially police officers would have been seriously injured or worse.' Mr Campbell, who suffered a slash wound to his hand, said 'luck' and 'good instincts' of members of the public meant no more people were killed by Monzo that day. He said that he felt enormous pride for his team who managed to detain the 37-year-old suspect. 'They did what we do every day. We chase people with knives. We chase people with offensive weapons,' he said. 'They were there to do what they do every day, so it was no surprise, but what they did undoubtedly saved further loss of life. 'I'm proud of them every day and they needed no supervision nor direction to chase down a man with a sword. That should speak volumes. 'But right now as I speak there is probably a police officer somewhere in the country chasing someone with a knife or something else. 'What we saw in Hainault was extraordinary circumstances in the way it turned out but it's not unusual to have someone running round with a knife at 7am. It's not unusual at all.' On the work of his team, Mr Campbell said: 'They regularly turn out from parade and go on blue lights having been asleep two hours ago and switch into that mode.' Asked whether their bravery made them heroes, he said: 'I think to describe yourself as a hero would be slightly distasteful. I think they know what I think of them in terms of whether they are a hero or not.' On the impact of the Hainault attack, he said: 'In terms of the ongoing effect there is much recovery for many of the officers to be done. 'However three days later they were back in the car and they were responding to the same incident. 'I took more time off because I was still recovering – I took four months off and came back when I could use my hand again. 'In the second shift the first call came out 'male with a samurai sword in a park making thrusting gestures at the public'. 'Yet again the same officers got into their car and went with blue lights on and ran at that person. The same officers who had been involved in the other one. 'I was on my way as well – although my heart beat slightly quicker. It just goes to show that they had been through it and, yes, they had been affected, but it does not distract them from what they are doing and what they were expected to be doing.' Mr Campbell sat at the Old Bailey throughout Monzo's murder trial and was in court when he was found guilty on Wednesday. On his reaction, he said: 'My entire thoughts were for the family of Daniel. I spoke to my team and thanked them again and filled them in on the finer details. 'My thoughts were for Daniel's family who I am humbled by – incredible people. I think the jury came to the right decision.' Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell said he was 'incredibly proud' of the police response. 'The scale and severity of the attack was intense and quite widespread and throughout the entire incident our officers responded with courage, placing their own safety second, trying to prevent harm to others first, showing great courage and bravery and teamwork to eventually detain Monzo. 'That type of incident is rare thankfully but the notion of our officers running towards and dealing with dangerous situations is not. 'Eighteen officers a day in London are assaulted dealing with calls. The behaviour our officers displayed that day is displayed every day, the fearlessness, the courage, the self-sacrifice. Frankly, Moloy and Yasmin both suffered severe injuries as a result of them attempting to prevent harm to others and our officers take that action every day.' Speaking ahead of Monzo's sentencing on Friday, Mr Bell paid tribute to the schoolboy who lost his life. He said: 'Daniel was universally described as a talented, gentle young man with great potential with a life ahead of him who was loved by so many. 'His untimely death is a tragedy and words do not come close to describing how tragic, how random the events which befell Daniel were. 'His family have been nothing but dignified, resilient and behaved with the most incredible courage and we are frankly in awe of them. 'All we could do was try to bring some form of justice to Daniel and the family and now give them the space to move on and grieve.' Mr Bell said Monzo's actions were induced by cannabis and even though it was a concern he had been exposed to extreme views on social media – including far-right and incel ideology – there was no evidence he had enacted anything he had seen online. Despite efforts to clamp down on the sale of knives online, Monzo had bought an expensive handmade Katana sword legally.
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Monster GUILTY of stabbing Daniel Anjorin, 14, to death and slashing at cops with Samurai sword in ‘ferocious' rampage
A MONSTER has been found guilty of stabbing tragic Daniel Anjorin to death and slashing at cops with a Samurai sword in a "ferocious" rampage. Marcus Arduini Monzo ambushed the 14-year-old on April 30 last year as he made his way to school in Hainault, East London. 8 8 8 The youngster suffered a "devastating and unsurvivable chopping injury" to his neck and face during the horror. Monzo also tried to kill Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield, Henry De Los Rios Polina, Sindy Arias and Donato Iwule in the 20-minute attack. The Brazilian "mystic" has now been found guilty of murder and three counts of attempted murder following a trial at the Old Bailey. Jurors heard he killed and skinned his own cat in a cannabis-induced psychosis before setting off on the rampage. He believed he was in the "Hunger Games" and that he was being controlled by "evil lizard type aliens". The killer had shown a warped interest in toxic influencer Andrew Tate and shared Incel posts online. Monzo carried out the attack with "murderous intent" over a 20-minute period on April 30. Donato was the first to be attacked when Monzo "deliberately" drove into him in his van. As he was knocked into a garden, Monzo got out the van and slashed his neck with the Samurai sword. Donato managed to escape as emergency crews were scrambled to the residential street. Meanwhile, Daniel was walking to school "minding his own business" when his life was "snuffed out in an instant". Chilling footage showed the attempts by brave officers to stop Monzo as Daniel lay gravely injured on the ground. One officer yelled "drop it" but the so-called "mystic" replied: "Do you believe in God?" He then fled through nearby gardens before being chased down an alleyway by PC Mechem-Whitfield. The footage shows the brave cop approach Monzo, who then slashes at her with a sword as an officer yells " police officer stabbed". He also stabs another cop in the arm as they desperately tried to block the sword with a baton. Monzo then burst into a house to attack a couple in their bedroom as their child slept next to them. He shouted out 'do you believe in God?' about four times then began to attack Henry De Los Rios Polania with the sword before attempting to stab his wife. Jurors were told their lives were only spared because the youngster woke up and started to cry. 8 8 8 The court heard the "talented" martial artist spent nearly £1,000 on swords in December 2023 before cancelling the order. He then bought two handmade Katana swords for £427.80 on February 21, 2024, with delivery coming through to his home in early April. Footage showed Monzo branding a sword "freaking sexy" as he lunged around holding the weapon. NHS systems were checked and revealed there were no documented mental health concerns or access to mental health services by Monzo. But his brother Eduardo told the court Monzo had consumed ayahuasca – a hallucinogenic plant-based drink commonly used in South America – during a stay at a remote retreat in the Amazon. He said he was "concerned" as the drink has caused a "negative response" in some people. Killer's chilling internet history revealed for 1st time MARCUS Monzo's web history was a chilling mix of violence, conspiracy theories, Incel and far-right extremism. It can today be reported for the first time that he had liked posts on X which praised Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. Over a year, Monzo's X account also liked references to various antisemitic conspiracy theories and misogynistic Incel material. He shared memes about being a flat earther and showed a creepy interest in controversial public figures such as Andrew Tate. Monzo's social media accounts also underlined his fascination with traditional Japanese samurai and katana swords. On TikTok, his FreeKingMark profile described him as a mystic, musician, martial artist, jedi and a ninja. While his Pinterest account, the FreeKingMark, had saved dozens of images featuring figures with samurai swords and other weapons. Less than two weeks before the attack, Monzo uploaded a video of himself to an Instagram account called 'FreeKingMark' repeatedly punching a bag in the gym. Another photo, posted on January 25 last year, showed him smiling with two thumbs up and a number of medals from a Brazilian jiu-jitsu competition around his neck. Eduardo said his brother began to withdraw from his family when he returned from the retreat. The court heard no trace of DMT – the hallucinogen found in ayahuasca – was detected in Monzo's system. But prosecutors said his "conduct was brought about by self-induced intoxication in the form of drugs" that led to a "psychotic disorder". Monzo, of West Beckton, Newham, denied murder, four counts of attempted murder and one of wounding with intent. He was remanded into custody to be sentenced on Friday. Kirsty O'Connor, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "The CPS maintained throughout that Arduini-Monzo's mental state was driven by his own cannabis misuse which meant that he was fully responsible for the devastation he caused last year. The jury, by their unequivocal verdicts, have accepted the prosecution case. "Our hearts go out to Daniel Anjorin's family and friends who have suffered his unimaginable loss in horrific circumstances, and our thoughts remain with all of the victims who continue to recover from their injuries and trauma. "I would also like to pay tribute to the brave police officers and emergency workers who faced Marcos Arduini-Monzo on that terrifying day in April 2024, putting their own personal safety at risk in the line of duty. "The courage shown by PC Mechem-Whitfield, PC King, Inspector Campbell and others who selflessly sought to apprehend Arduini-Monzo whilst facing extreme personal danger was exceptional and undoubtedly prevented further loss of life. "We all owe them a debt of gratitude." 8 8
