The gang got into an argument with a man at the subway station. Suddenly they saw that he had two knives.
Published: 01/05/2024 17:57 | Updated: 01/05/2024 20:36
The incident started inside the Nationaltheateret subway station, or right outside, a little before 6pm on Wednesday.
The suspected perpetrator then ran after three boys up towards Slottsbakken.
Within a short time, the police received more than 20 emergency calls from the area. The incident was immediately defined as “ongoing life-threatening violence”.
One person suffered a stab wound to the arm and was treated by paramedics at the scene.
According to incident leader Steinar Bjerke, the person was slightly injured, and no other injuries were found.
When the police arrived at the scene, they quickly got control of the man, who was running after people at the National Theatre.
Argument that developed
The police state that they do not perceive the incident as an attempt at terrorism or similar.
– We think there has been an argument which has been the reason for this here. Then it developed and turned into a threat incident with several knives, says Bjerke.
VG and Dagbladet have spoken to a group of friends who say they were chased by the knife man.
Michael Holmvik (18) and Marius Aas Hast (25) say they met the man inside the subway station at the Nationaltheateret. They say that they were joking and laughing among themselves, when the man came towards them and thought they had violated him.
One of the boys is said to have received a knee in the crotch from the man before they discovered that the man had knives.
Run towards the castle
– I decided to get him away from there, and ran up towards the castle. Meanwhile, I screamed to make people realize that he has two knives. I grabbed a rock, and after a short time I heard sirens, says Hast to Dagbladet.
The police came to the scene just minutes after they received a report about the incident, and got control of the man in Slottsbakken.
The man allegedly threw away two knives when he was arrested.
He says it was unclear for a while whether there were several perpetrators involved, but the police are now confident that it was only the man who was arrested.
The police are in contact with several people who say they were threatened with a knife.
Witness: Running back and forth screaming
The police are also in the process of questioning the man who was arrested.
A witness says that the man ran back and forth and screamed.
Two guards went around calming people down. One of the guards described it as “a small incident” to people standing around the castle hill.
Erik Karlsen was one of the passers-by walking past Universitetsplassen, when suddenly several police cars drove up.
– They stopped, and several police officers ran out in all directions. There were at least ten of them. It went very quickly, before I saw them handcuffing a man. Shortly afterwards I spotted a person lying injured in the ditch up there, says Karlsen and points towards Ring 1 below Slottsbakken.
