Zack Polanski apologises for sharing post condemning officers who arrested Golders Green terror suspect

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Mr Polanski retweeted an X post accusing officers of “repeatedly and violently kicking a mentally ill man in the head” when he was already incapacitated from being tasered.

The man, who has since been identified as 45-year-old Essa Suleiman, a Somalian-born British national, had just allegedly stabbed Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Ben Baila, 76.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said in a letter to Mr Polanski that he was “disappointed” by his remarks, adding that the post was “inaccurate and misinformed”.

Sir Mark said that the officers “are nothing short of extraordinary”, saying: “Without their efforts to stop him I dread to think what the outcome could have been.”

Sir Keir Starmer branded Mr Polanski's decision to criticise the policemen as "disgraceful".

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Mr Polanski issued his apology on Friday afternoon, saying that leaders have a responsibility to lower tensions.

He said: "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."

However, in response to the criticism from the Prime Minister, the Green leader was bullish.

He wrote on X: "Yesterday in Hastings, in the wake of antisemitic attacks in Golders Green, I faced Nazi salutes.

"Today the Prime Minister uses his office to attack the only Jewish party leader to score political points."

The Met Police said: "We have received a letter and will meet Mr Polanski after the elections take place."

Speaking before Mr Polanski issued his apology, the Prime Minister said: "I know from my own experience with the police, that there are only two shots in a taser, and once you've shot them, there's nothing left.

"There's a guy on the ground, he's got a rucksack on... if I was there, I'd be thinking, he's going to detonate something...II think you can quite see why what could have gone through their mind is, we need to do whatever we can to disable this guy."

He added: "Now, when I then see Zack Polanski come out and retweet or support a criticism of that, I think it's disgraceful... He's not fit to lead any political party."

He also faced a wave of criticism from Conservative and Labour politicians over the post.

Labour MP Jonathan Hinder said: "This is so telling. Polanski hates the brave police officers who stopped this. He's more concerned about the antisemitic terrorist with a knife in his hand! Isn't that right Zack Polanski?

Neil O'Brien, a Conservative MP, added: "As usual, the Greens' sympathies are with the terrorist rather than the brave police officers stopping him."

Labour MP David Taylor said: "Zack Polanski's sympathy for a marauding antisemitic terrorist rather than his victims shows why his Green Party is so dangerous.

"How can anyone watch that video from Golders Green and not feel proud of the way those brave police officers wrestled with the attacker who would not let go of his knife?"