A knife-wielding man charged at armed police stationed on Horse Guards Parade in central London because he wanted to be shot dead, a court heard.
Prashanth Kandhaiah, 30, searched online for the 2019 London Bridge terror attack, in which Usman Khan was fatally shot by police, the day before the incident, a jury was told.
Ministry of Defense soldiers Ravinder Digpaul and Ryan Pariso were stationed in a courtyard on Horse Guards Parade when Kandhaiah ran towards them, brandishing a kitchen knife, on Easter Monday, April 18 this year.
Southwark Crown Court heard Authorized Firearms Officer Pc Digpaul move his MP7 carbine rifle into position for him and switch the safety to fire but lost his balance while being chased.
Prosecutor Suki Dhadda told the court on Tuesday that the officer kicked Kandhaiah, “desperately trying” to keep him away, while standing over him “swinging his knife in his direction.”
PC Digpaul was very afraid that he would be stabbed or worse, killed,” he said.
The officer drew his Glock pistol while he was on the ground and was ready to pull the trigger before Kandhaiah was attacked by Pc Pariso, jurors heard.
“I felt that if he could have passed through my legs, I think he would have seriously hurt me or killed me.”
In body camera footage, Pc Pariso can be heard ordering the stabber to “Duck” and “Stay Down,” while Kandhaiah yells before asking the officers to “Shoot.”
READ RELATED: Walid Regragui Was Hired As The National Coach Of Morocco For Three Months Before The World Cup
A forensic officer walks outside the Horse Guards building, April 18, 2022
Ms. Dhadda said that after he was handcuffed and arrested, she “begged the officers to listen to her when she said that she wanted to be shot that day.”
“He said he wanted to kill himself,” she said. She said that he wanted the cops to shoot him.
Kandhaiah, from Thamesmead, southeast London, denies attempting to commit grievous bodily harm.
The prosecutor said that, in addition to searching online for the 2019 London Bridge terror attack, he had entered terms including “rat poison can kill people”, “I hate Britain” and “police” in the previous months. to the incident.
“Whether or not he wanted to be shot that day, he was prepared to run towards Pc Digpaul, armed with a knife, brandishing that knife at him and, according to the prosecution, attempting to stab him, an attempt that was only thwarted by kicks from Pc Digpaul to the defendant to prevent him from getting too close and Pc Pariso’s swift actions,” said Ms. Dhadda.
The court heard that Kandhaiah had arrived at Whitehall on an electric bicycle before pulling the nearly 5-inch (12.7 cm) blade from his jacket pocket and charging the officers.
PC Digpaul said he had “a pretty angry look” when he ran at him and his colleague, brandishing the knife.
Source: https://wikisoon.com/
