Hero cop '˜feared for his life' as he tackled man intent on '˜torching Scottish Parliament'

A police officer has spoken of his fear as he raced to tackle a knife-wielding thug who tried to set fire to the Scottish Parliament.
A police officer has spoken of his fear as he raced to tackle a knife-wielding thug who tried to set fire to the Scottish Parliament.A police officer has spoken of his fear as he raced to tackle a knife-wielding thug who tried to set fire to the Scottish Parliament.
A police officer has spoken of his fear as he raced to tackle a knife-wielding thug who tried to set fire to the Scottish Parliament.

Detective Constable Glynn Powell disarmed Piotr Swiatek after he poured fuel on wooden posts and was armed with a large knife.

Speaking to the Daily Record, the police officer said he could have been stabbed to death as he confronted Swiatek but managed to successfully pin him down.

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The incident took place on March 24 just two days after the first anniversary of the Westminster terror attack when PC Keith Palmer, 48, was knifed by Khalid Masood after he mowed down and killed four people.

The 49-year-old officer said he thought about Keith after the Holyrood incident, adding: “That situation could have happened again.”

Speaking on the incident, Powell said he first saw Swiatek “crouching next to wooden poles, up against the building”, adding: “He put an unknown substance over the window and the wood and he had something in his hand which turned out to be a lighter.

“I raced out, shouting at him to stop.

“He stood pulled a large kitchen knife out of his jacket. He raised it above his head.

“I assumed he was going to bring it down on me.

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“I grabbed the arm which was holding the knife. He dropped the knife, then I put him to the ground.”

Swiatek, 31, told police he wanted officers to kill him and planned to set himself ablaze.

He was jailed for 30 months last month.