Polish Worker Named As Hero After Confronting London Bridge Attacker While Wounded

LONDON (VINnews/Daily Telegraph) — New details have emerged about the gruesome attack Friday at a site near London Bridge. The details published in the Daily Telegraph reveal the incredible heroism demonstrated by members of the public in their attempts to confront Usman Khan, the armed terrorist who went on a killing spree.

When Khan emerged into the hallway at 1:55 PM to begin his rampage of terror he encountered his mentor from Learning Together, Jack Merritt, who was the first to rush to stop him. Merrit left the banquet hall of the Fishmonger’s Building, where members of the joint-study organization had gathered to celebrate their fifth anniversary.

Learning Together brings together offenders and people learning criminology in higher education in order “to study alongside each other” in equal partnership.

The University of Cambridge said the program “has broken down prejudices and created new possibilities for all of those who took part”.

Friends and colleagues said Merrit, who was fatally injured by Khan, found an “affinity” with the convicted terrorist, and was convinced that he could “guide him to redemption”.

But that faith was repaid with violence as Khan slashed out at those who tried to prevent his murderous spree.

Khan, who had been released from prison 11 months earlier under restrictions, had been given special permission by the authorities to travel to London unsupervised and had in the morning given a “convincing” talk about his rehabilitation during a workshop at Learning Together’s fifth anniversary event.

But the convicted terrorist, who had only been released from prison 11 months earlier, used a break in the afternoon’s proceedings to go into the toilets and tape a fake suicide vest to his body and knives to his hands. He then ran to the hall and started attacking random  people nearby.

Mr Merritt, 25, who had helped to organize the event, heard the noise and ran out to try and calm him down. Bryonn Bain, an associate professor with the University of California in Los Angeles who spoke at the conference, said that the “brave” Cambridge graduate “was the first line of defence, he was the first person to confront him”.

Lukasz Koczocik, a worker at the venue who had been cleaning glasses in the basement and heard the screams, also ran to help.

“He goes towards the trouble, he gets there on the first floor and it is very clear that there’s a bad guy, he’s got two knives in his hand, there’s screaming, there’s chaos,” Toby Williamson, chief executive of the Fishmongers Company, told the BBC as he paid tribute to his staff.

Mr Koczocik armed himself with a long stick and “charges towards the bad guy” but hit “something protective”.

“But he’s buying time and he allows others to escape to move to adjacent rooms and at that point he has about a one minute one on one straight combat,” Mr Williamson added.

“This guy Khan then works his way up Lukasz’s pole slashing with his knife, he takes five wounds to his left side.”

Mr Koczocik, who it was announced Monday will be getting an honor for bravery in his native Poland, started to lose strength but two men from the conference rushed to intervene.

One was armed with a fire extinguisher and the other with a narwhal tusk that he had ripped from the wall.

“They come and join the fight and it is pretty gruesome and I think the terrorist decided he was outnumbered, he runs though and goes down the main staircase and the next bit of hell is when he is at reception and can’t get out the front door,” Mr Williamson said.

Gareth, the doorman “is pushing the door shut as good as he can” whilst another worker named as Dawn called the police.

People were trying to keep the door closed and Khan was swinging knives at them according to the reports.

Saskia Jones, a 23-year-old who had volunteered with Learning Together was also fatally wounded inside the building and at least two others were seriously injured.

Finding himself trapped, Khan turned to the girls in the cloakroom, Alla and Sandra, and gave them a “hell of a time” before a showdown in the entrance hall with Mr Koczocik once again “leading the charge”.

Mr Williamson added that when one bystander, Andy, was faced with the option of opening the door or being attacked by Khan, he made the right decision and opened the door as when the terrorist exited fast he fell and people from inside and outside were able to overcome him. Some of the heroes who intervened were former convicts attending the event, it was said.

Moments later, at 2.02pm, police marksmen arrive and after pulling the final member of the public away from Khan he was shot dead.

But in his wake he left a trail of devastation, with Mr Bain stating: “I saw people die. I saw things that I will never be able to unsee.”

Mr. David Merritt, the father of victim Jack Merritt, wrote that his son was “was selfless in his dedication to make things right in every second of his life”.

“Jack devoted his energy to the purpose of Learning Together: a pioneering program to bring students from university and prisons together to share their unique perspectives on justice,” he added.

“Unlike many of us, Jack did not just go to work. He lived and breathed fire in his pursuit of a better world for all humanity, particularly those most in need.”

One source at Cambridge said: “We’ve heard that Khan was initially very skeptical about the group that wanted to help him rebuild his life but built up a mutual understanding and respect towards Jack. It wasn’t so much a friendship, but there seems to have been a special bond, a closeness.

“Jack was convinced he could guide Khan to redemption, I think he really believed that he could turn his life round. He even became a case study for the group.

“That’s why it’s so galling that Jack was murdered in cold blood by the man who appeared to have bonded with him. “