The police say that the man who is suspected of putting five people in Amsterdam is a 30-year-old from Ukraine.
Researchers say that he came from the Donetsk region in the east of the country – which has been operated for more than a decade as a separated state from Ukraine and was annexed unlawfully by Russia in 2022.
Panic hit Sint Nicolaasstraat on Thursday when a knives stabbed five people, including a 67-year-old American wife, a 69-year-old American husband, a 26-year-old Polish man, a 73-year-old Belgian woman and a 19-year-old local woman.
But the suspect was arrested after a brave British tourist chased him and tackled him on the floor, kneeling on him to prevent his escape.
The police said today that the 30-year-old suspect will be brought before an investigation magistrate of the court in Amsterdam on Tuesday, who will express whether he can remain detailed for the trial.
In a statement, Dutch researchers said: 'The police have now established the identity of the suspect in stabbing. He is a 30-year-old man of Ukrainian nationality, from the Donetsk region (Eastern Ukraine).
'This suspect will be brought before the investigation magistrate of the court in Amsterdam on Tuesday 1 April, who will decide on a possible expansion of the detention before the trial.
“The research team is still working on the research. We therefore cannot answer other questions at the moment. '
This is the incredible moment that a British tourist chased and tackled a knife after he stabbed five people in Amsterdam
The heroic Brit is seen in dramatic images that pin the knife on the floor
Detectives say that the suspect was checked in a hotel in Amsterdam on 26 March and used various knives in the attack.
After having received five people, apparently randomly, he was arrested shortly after the incident in nearby Gravenstraat when he tried to do his escape and injure his leg. The police say they are still trying to identify a motive.
Dramatic CCTV images show that the man sprints through a narrow street to chase the attacker.
The tourist, since then called the 'hero of the dam', then squeezed the suspect with his knee to prevent him from carrying out further attacks.
Eyewitnesses spoke about seeing a knife of at least 10 centimeters that sticks out of a girl's back, between her shoulders.
The 26-year-old Polish man who was injured in the attack was fired from the hospital. The other victims remain in a stable state in the hospital.
The British man was recognized yesterday for his courage by the mayor of Amsterdam, who gave him a prize for his 'heroic' actions.
In a message on Instagram, Mayor Feme Halsema wrote: 'This afternoon I will talk to the citizen who has succeeded in overpowering the suspect. To hear his story and to thank him for his heroic act.
“He is a very modest British man,” she added in an interview with the Dutch TV channel AT5.
“He has no desire to become famous. He is now mainly concerned with the victims, he feels responsible for them. '
Witnesses said that the attacker was overwhelmed by bystanders before officers arrived on stage.
Local reports claim that the man who had addressed him spoke English and was supposed to be British, but the police did not confirm where he comes from.
A spokesperson for the Amsterdam -power praised his actions such as 'heroic', according to De Telegraaf.
A police spokesperson also said to Ad: “He did a great job. We are very proud of him, but we also want to point out that you should be very careful if you want to make the arrest of a burger. Most people are not trained for things like this. '
Maarten Brinkm, head of the ACP Police Union, said: 'A big thumb up for the decisive action of this hero.
“The heroic citizen can count on massive praise.”
Mayor of Amsterdam Feme Halsema (photo) said that the person who arrested the suspect was a 'very modest British man'
Dramatic images showed that the individual determined the attacker and prevented him from further attacks on the busy street
The knife extraction near the historic Dam Central Square left five injured, including two Americans on Thursday afternoon
Police officers gather not far from the area after a stitches near Damsplein in Central Amsterdam
Police officers are behind a broken area after stabbing near Dam Square
The police have deposited a large area around the Royal Palace in the Central Damsplein to have an emergency helicopter landed
His actions caused praise waves on social media, with one comment that said: 'Respect for this man. We need more such heroes.
“A real hero, despite the chaos, this man managed to keep the attacker low until the police arrived.”
Another said, “Hero, this man deserves a medal!”
According to reports, the suspect was tackled on the ground outside the Febo Fast Food Restaurant.
An employee said to the independent: 'Apparently a man kicked him and broke his ankle. He was kicked down [by some bystanders] Because he tried to run away.
“I think someone has also kicked him in the face. It sounds like it was well deserved. '
