Starmer defends actions of police after criticism over Golders Green arrest

Sir Keir was responding to criticism of officers shared on social media by Green Party leader Zack Polanski.

Sir Keir Starmer has defended two police officers from criticism for kicking the Golders Green stabbing suspect as they tried to disarm him.

In footage shared on social media, the officers appeared to kick the 45-year-old suspect in the head after they had used a Taser to force him to the ground.

Sir Keir criticised Green Party leader Zack Polanski for sharing a social media post which accused the Metropolitan Police officers who detained the suspect of acting “violently”.

Mr Polanski had shared a post on X which accused the police of “repeatedly and violently kicking a mentally ill man in the head” when he was already incapacitated from being tasered.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, in an interview due to be aired on Saturday, the Prime Minister said he had met with the police officers involved.

“I won’t put words into their mouth, but I want everybody just to imagine what it might be like,” he told the BBC.

Sir Keir added: “You’re trying to arrest someone who has already attacked two people and has no regard for life.

“We know that tasers were fired. I know from my own experience with the police, that there are only two shots in a taser, and once you’ve shot them, there’s nothing left.

“There’s a guy on the ground, he’s got a rucksack on. And I don’t know what was going through the mind of those officers, but if I was there, I’d be thinking, he’s going to detonate something. He’s going to blow me up and everybody around here.

“In those circumstances, I think you can quite see why what could have gone through their mind is, we need to do whatever we can to disable this guy.”

The Prime Minister also branded Mr Polanski “disgraceful” and “not fit to lead any political party” for reposting the criticism of police officers.

The Green leader, who was also criticised by Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley for his actions, has apologised for “sharing a tweet in haste”.

But Mr Polanski then hit back, saying in response to a clip of the Prime Minister’s interview: “Yesterday in Hastings, in the wake of antisemitic attacks in Golders Green, I faced Nazi salutes.

“Today the Prime Minister uses his office to attack the only Jewish party leader to score political points.”

Earlier, the Director of Public Prosecutions warned of a “deeply troubling rise” in antisemitic incidents across the country, as he vowed to use the “full force of the law” against perpetrators.

The UK terrorism threat level was raised to “severe” by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, meaning a terror attack is “highly likely”, after two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green on Wednesday.

In a statement on Friday afternoon, Stephen Parkinson, Director of Public Prosecutions, said: “Recent events, including the appalling attack on members of the Jewish community in London, come against a deeply troubling rise in antisemitic incidents across the country.

“I recognise the profound fear, distress, and anger that many Jewish people and families are experiencing and my thoughts remain with the victims of Wednesday’s attack. No one should feel unsafe because of who they are or their faith.

“Antisemitic hate crime is not only an attack on individuals — it is an attack on the values of respect, tolerance and the rule of law that underpin our society.

“Let me be clear: those who commit antisemitic crimes will be held accountable. The CPS will use the full force of the law to ensure those responsible are prosecuted robustly and swiftly and justice is done.”

Met Commissioner Sir Mark also warned of a growing “pandemic” of antisemitism in the UK and said he is “very concerned” about the sustainability of the force’s current approach to protecting Jewish communities in the capital following the double stabbing.

He also said “everybody should reflect on the levels of antisemitic attitudes in society”.

Sir Mark said he is “concerned” about the scale of upcoming protests in the capital, and said police are looking at what conditions and powers should be used in respect of those events.

“Protests can’t be banned, Parliament has made it clear, but they can’t be,” he told LBC.

“What we can do, we can restrict how a march takes place and, in the most extreme circumstances – and it’s a very high bar – we can restrict it to a static event alone, and we’re looking at all possibilities and what’s appropriate in this circumstance.”

Asked about a temporary pause on demonstrations, Sir Mark said: “That’s a matter of Parliament, that’s not within the law, I have no power to do that.

“If Parliament wants to do that then, of course, we would sort of execute on the decision they made.”