Green party leader Zack Polanski apologises over Golders Green posts ‘undermining hero officers’

Green Party leader Zack Polanski has apologised after sharing a social media post criticising police officers who apprehended the Golders Green suspect.

Mr Polanski shared a social media post accusing the officers of heavy-handedness as they pinned terror suspect Essa Suleiman to the ground.

Two Jewish people had been stabbed in an unprovoked attack in the north London suburb, with officers fearing the suspect also had a bomb.

Mr Polanski shared a post on X which claimed the two policemen were ‘violently kicking a mentally ill man in the head’.

Both Met Commissioner Mark Rowley and Prime Minister Keir Starmer have condemned Mr Polanski’s criticism, saying it ‘undermined’ the heroism of the officers

The Green Party leader said this afternoon: ‘Everyone in leadership has a responsibility for lowering the temperature at a time of such tension, and I apologise for sharing a tweet in haste. 

‘Police responses to emergency situations such as these do need later reflection in the right forums, but I accept that social media is not the appropriate channel for doing so.

‘I have invited Mark Rowley to meet with me to discuss the police response and the wider issues raised in his letter.’

This is a breaking news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.

Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected]. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates.

MORE: I got an early preview of Gordon Ramsay’s 100th restaurant — there’s one dish to avoid

MORE: Indulge in London’s best eats this week — from Birria pizza to free JENKI matcha

MORE: One of the UK’s busiest airports has a new transport link — with tickets from £8.99