The Met Police have given the name of a 14-year-old boy tragically killed in Tuesday’s attack in Hainault as Daniel Anjorin, a Nigerian.
The police said his family are being supported by specialist officers as detectives continue their investigation at pace.
A 36-year-old man remains in custody after being arrested on suspicion of murder.
Speaking on Wednesday on LBC, Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, said: the thoughts of the police all are with the parents of the 14-year-old boy who lost his life.
Rowley said officers were on the ground in 12 minutes and the attacker was detained in 22 minutes, saying videos shown on social media and media websites showed what the situation was really like for the officers.
He stated that it was not a glib phrase “when we say they run towards danger. Officers are so connected to the idea that it’s their job to protect the public that they instinctively do this.
“It is a privilege to lead and work with my officers; meeting them and listening to them is humbling. Nineteen officers a day are injured in London, seven days a week, 365 days a year. This is the background context to officers going about their work, making arrests, protecting people.”
Police were called shortly before 07:00hrs to Laing Close, Hainault, after receiving reports that a man had crashed a van into the fence of a house and people stabbed.
Detective Chief Inspector Larry Smith, who is leading the investigation, said this is an incredibly tragic incident that had resulted in a young boy losing his life and his family devastated.
“On behalf of the family, I would ask that their privacy is respected. This is a complex investigation due to the number of crime scenes, forensic evidence, hours of CCTV footage and witnesses we need to speak to.
“I know that many people will want answers and we are working to provide them as soon as we can. I would also echo previous calls for patience as my officers carry out a painstaking investigation to deliver justice for Daniel, his family, those injured and the wider community,” he said.
Smith said the police were starting to build a picture of what happened on Tuesday and thanked everyone who had come forward to share dashcam, doorbell and mobile phone footage with the police.
The police added that this was an incident that took place in a number of locations and they are still working to confirm the full detail.
“We know that a 33-year-old man was struck when the suspect crashed his van into the property in Laing Close. He was then attacked by the suspect and suffered a wound to his neck.
“A 35-year-old man suffered lacerations to his arm when he was attacked inside a nearby property. The suspect then went on to attack Daniel Anjorin who, as we know, tragically died from his injuries,” the police said.
Officers arrived at the scene within 12 minutes of the first call. They used their Pava incapacitant spray and Taser however these had limited impact.
The police said two officers were subsequently attacked by the suspect, causing serious injuries, saying that they would require long-term rehabilitation to help them recover.
The police said the suspect fled again before being surrounded by other officers in Thurlow Gardens as they used Taser to overpower him.
“He was arrested before being taken to hospital due to injuries from the crash. He is now in police custody.
“We are aware of speculation about previous police contact with the suspect. Urgent checks of our systems have so far found no trace of a prior incident so far but we are working to be absolutely certain,” the police said.(PM/LMC)
