Police officer stabbed during Glasgow knife attack thanks colleagues for saving lives

A police officer injured in a knife attack in Glasgow has thanked his colleagues for their efforts in an “extremely challenging” incident.

Constable David Whyte, 42, was among six people injured on Friday afternoon at the Park Inn Hotel in the city’s West George Street.

Three of the other people who were injured are asylum seekers, Police Scotland said, while two are members of staff at the hotel.

All remain in hospital, one in a critical but stable condition, the others in a stable condition.

A male suspect was shot dead by armed police at the scene.

Mr Whyte said that the scene he and fellow first responders were confronted with “is something I will never forget.”

In a statement, he said: “Myself and my colleague did what all police officers are trained for to save lives.

“I would like to thank my colleagues who put themselves in harm’s way to contain this incident and assist with the vital treatment given to myself and others at the scene by other emergency services.

“Despite suffering serious injuries myself, I know that the swift actions of colleagues saved lives and prevented a far more serious incident.

“I would like to thank the medical staff at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for their outstanding care in the hours following this incident.

“Finally, I would like to thank the public for all their kind messages of support and for the good wishes from all at Police Scotland. It means a lot and has brought both myself and my family great comfort at this difficult time.”

The constable also asked that the privacy of himself and his family be respected as he recovers.

Police Scotland, which has said the attack is not being treated as terrorism, has launched an appeal for any witnesses to come forward.

Officers were called to the hotel at 12.50pm and the incident was “quickly contained”, the force said.

The suspect was shot by an armed unit and died at the scene.

Following an update from Police Scotland on Saturday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: “My thoughts today remain with Constable Whyte – whose bravery we are all deeply grateful for – and the other people who sustained injuries in yesterday’s terrible incident. I wish them all a full and speedy recovery.”

The Park Inn hotel was being used to house asylum seekers.

All of those injured are aged between 17 and 53.

Meanwhile, a man who said he knew the perpetrator claimed he warned of the attack the night before.

Giving his name as Siraj, he told ITV: “He said ‘I will attack’ so everyone should take it seriously.

“I told him ‘no, there’s no need to attack’ and he said ‘they hate me, I hate them, they are against me’.

“He started to say a lot of stuff like that but I said nobody hates you, nobody knows you, nobody knows each other.

“I reported him to the hotel reception and then the next day, yesterday morning, the housing manager talked to me and I said to him everything he (the attacker) said to me. And in the afternoon, it happened.”