London Sword Attack Highlights Mayor Khan’s Crime Record Before Election
- London among UK cities with mayoral elections on Thursday
- Man arrested after sword attack spree killed teenage boy
A police officer stands on duty at a cordon of a crime scene in Hainault, east of London on April 30.
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A sword attack in northeast London that left a 14-year-old boy dead has propelled Mayor Sadiq Khan’s record on tackling knife crime to the forefront of the election campaign a day before the capital’s voters decide whether to renew their faith in him for a record third term.
Footage and images of the incident have circulated widely online after the man, wielding a samurai-style weapon, attacked the boy and four other people in the district of Hainault in the space of half an hour on Tuesday. The 36-year-old suspect was subdued and arrested by officers, and remains in the hospital on Wednesday, according to the Metropolitan police.