AN APPRENTICE star intervened in a knifeman’s attack to lead him in circles he allegedly slashed three people at an Aldi car park.
Sohail Chowdhary, who appeared on BBC One’s The Apprentice in 2022 and now runs a the martial arts school, raced to step in alongside student Mohamed Kamal.
BBCThe businessman and martial artist appeared on The Apprentice in 2022[/caption]
Limitless Martial ArtsThe knifeman was wrestled to the ground by cops near an Aldi supermarket in Southampton[/caption]
Chowdharry, who owns Limitless Martial Arts School in Southampton, said he lead the knifeman in circles so passersby could flee to safety.
This was after the businessman and a colleague rushed outside his gym, with two students, after they heard the chaos going on around 12.45pm on Sunday, August 3.
Three people were left injured following the attack that occurred outside the Aldi supermarket in Belvois Valley, Southampton.
Police arrested, and have now charged the 46-year-old suspected with three counts of attempted murder, as well as one of attempted GBH, and three of threatening a person with a blade or sharply pointed article in a public place, and one of possessing a blade or sharp pointed article in a public place.
Officers from Hampshire Police raced to the violent scene following reports a man was threatening people with a knife.
There, they arrested the suspect, described as South Asian, aged in his 40s, around 5ft 11ins and with black hair and a beard.
He was wearing a red shirt and a navy blue jacket when the violent assault took place.
Three people were reportedly injured in the knifeman’s rampage with witnesses describing seeing blood on his blade.
The knifeman was wrestled to the ground by cops when they arrived at the scene with horrified onlookers watching on.
An officer was seen pointing his taser at the attacker but it is unclear if it was deployed.
The Aldi has since been closed off and a cordon put in place as officers launch an investigation into the attack.
Brave student Mohamed, 16, who recently finished studying at Cantell School, rushed over to help, ushering the public into the nearby Aldi.
He went on to lead the attacker in circles in the car park with Mr Chowdhary while waiting for police officers to arrive.
Mohamed told the Daily Echo: “He just kept running that same slow pace.
“It was a bit scary, he was close at times.
“There was a point it wasn’t even scary any more, it was just weird.”
Despite only recently starting at the martial arts school Mohamed jumped into action to get people to safety alongside his coaches.
Alongside his friends Mohamed led the armed attacker on a 15 minute chase in the car park of the Aldi.
Limitless Martial Arts owner Sohail Chowdhary said in a statement posted to Instagram: “Earlier today, an incident took place across the road from our martial arts unit in Southampton.
“A few of our team stepped in and undertook our duties to make sure the injuries caused to the public were minimal.
“I want to give a huge thank you to three of our own – Viktor, Mohamed, and Jamie – for stepping in to help during a very tense moment and saving lives in today’s attack.
“As the founder of Limitless Martial Arts, I couldn’t be more proud.
“Our team didn’t just represent the discipline and courage we teach – we lived it.
“The most important thing is that everyone is now safe, and we continue to stand strong as a community.
“This incident has made many of us more alert. We will now be actively ensuring that all our students, adults and children alike, are aware of what to do in emergency situations, both inside and outside of class.
“It makes me more and more grateful to not only change lives, but to now officially save lives.”
None of the three people attacked by the suspect are thought to be seriously injured.
Officers probing the incident are now asking for witnesses to come forward to assist with their investigation.
A spokesperson for Hampshire Constabulary said: “We know there were a lot of people in the area at this time and we want to hear from anyone who can help with our enquiries.
“Did you witness the incident or do you have any footage of what happened; whether it’s CCTV, phone or dashcam?
“Did you see anyone matching this description in the Southampton area today acting suspiciously or in a way that caused you concern?
“You can report information and send footage through our public portal using this link: Public Portal or by calling 101 and quoting 44250348108.”
GoogleThe horror attack unfolded outside an Aldi in Bevois Valley, Southampton[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
