What’s the story?
According to Sky sources, it’s been reported that the first police officer on the scene at the London terror attack on Saturday night was a rugby player. He was the first person who came to the aid of victims at the scene of the shocking attack.The police officer, who plays rugby in his spare time, took on all the terrorists before being brought down from multiple stab wounds.
A British Transport Police (BTP) spokeswoman was quoted as saying, “He received injuries to his head, face, and leg, which, at this time, are believed to be serious but not life-threatening. The officer is currently being treated in a central London hospital and his family is with him while he receives treatment.”
In case you did not know...
This was the second attack the country survived in two months. Earlier on 22 May, England witnessed a suicide bombing at Manchester Arena during a concert by American pop singer Ariana Grande. The attacker, who was recognised as Salman Ramadan Abedi, detonated a shrapnel-laden homemade bomb at the exit of the arena claiming the lives of 23 individuals and injuring several others.
The heart of the matter
A total of four police officers were injured in Saturday night’s attack for which ISIS has claimed responsibility. The officer was the first person to come to the rescue after he responded to calls from pedestrians on the London Bridge. The unarmed rugby player reportedly tackled all the three jihadis involved in the attack before being stabbed in the face, head, and leg. The three attackers were later shot dead by police within eight minutes of the attack beginning.
Following the mishap, the rugby player was admitted to a hospital. He was in a critical condition, having suffered multiple wounds
What’s next
The officer/player is now reported to be in a stable condition. A memorial has also been planned to be held at 6 pm local time today, in the capital's Potters Field Park to commemorate those affected.
Author’s take
What the rugby player did can be dubbed as nothing short than heroic. It was inspirational to see someone using his strength and ability as an athlete for the cause of humanity.
