A “modest” British tourist has been praised for his heroism and given a medal after he tackled the suspect in a mass stabbing to the ground and restrained him until police arrived.
At least five people were wounded in the rampage which took place near the city's iconic Dam Square, in Amsterdam, just after 3.30pm local time on Thursday.
Footage, which has over six million views on X, shows a man kneeling on top of the suspect and threatening to punch him, as shoppers casually pass by.
In a message on Instagram, Amsterdam’s mayor Femke Halsema, thanked the hero Brit for his actions and said a police investigation was underway.
“This afternoon I will talk to the citizen who managed to overpower the suspect. To hear his story and to be able to thank him for his heroic act,” she said.
This guy stopped the knifeman in Amsterdam before the police arrived. Europe desperately needs more guys like him. A true hero. pic.twitter.com/JQITVuF7Ke
— RadioGenoa (@RadioGenoa) March 27, 2025
The man received a hero’s badge from the mayor. She told Amsterdam news channel AT5, "He is a very modest British man. He has no desire to become famous. He is now mainly concerned with the victims, he feels responsible for them."
She said the British man made a split second decision “for which there should be a lot of appreciation.”
“The tourist was walking on Nieuwendijk and heard a commotion”, she added.
"He saw someone pass by and instinctively thought ‘this is not right, something bad is happening here’. He managed to tackle him to the ground."
Also in the AT5 programme, a police chief said that the man came from a big city and was raised to stand up for fellow citizens.
According to Amsterdam news website AD, the five people injured in the attack were a 67-year-old woman and a 69-year-old man from the US, a 26-year-old man of Polish nationality, a 73-year-old woman from Belgium and a 19-year-old woman from Amsterdam.
The 26-year-old Polish victim has since left the hospital.
One witness told local media outlet De Telegraaf they suddenly heard an “icy scream” before panic broke out on Thursday.
A shop worker added there was a lot of shouting and screaming as people were seen running on the streets.
A suspect has been arrested, authorities said. They added: “A motive is still unclear, but is part of our investigation.”
