The community is celebrating the courageous actions of a local man with a campaign to ‘buy him a pint’, which already has more than £7,000 raised, as it emerges he may have saved a life amid a knife attack in Belfast.
Emergency services descended on the Kinnaird Avenue area in north Belfast on Monday (June 8) night to reports of a stabbing.
Video footage of the assault also showed several people attempting to intervene and stop the attacker from inflicting further injury as the victim lay apparently helpless in the street.
The victim, a man in his 40s, is now in hospital in critical condition. Police have also said a Sudanese man in his 30s has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
Now, locals have launched a GoFundMe to offer a man who appeared to try and stop the attack a pint. Maitiu Mág Tighearnán has been identified as the man who appeared to have stepped in to help, reports Belfast Live.
The fundraiser, which has been launched by Niall Donnan, has already passed £7,700 at the time of writing. It states: “I have set up this GoFundMe so the people of our land can show our support to Matt for his incredible bravery and courage.
“100% of donations will be sent to Matt directly. Let’s buy him a pint!”
The gesture comes as the “extraordinary courage” of those who intervened have been celebrated across Northern Ireland and beyond.
Police Service of Northern Ireland Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said it was important to “acknowledge at the very outset the bravery of those members of the public who ran towards danger to intervene and help the injured man”.
North Belfast MP John Finucane said he believed their heroism may have saved the life of the victim. He said: “They showed extraordinary courage and bravery to step in, to put themselves in danger to save, I think possibly, a man’s life because of their selfless acts, and I want, on behalf of everybody I’m sure, to thank them for that,” he told the Press Association at the scene on Tuesday morning.
Mr Finucane said his thoughts first and foremost are with the victim, and his family and friends, but also with residents who witnessed what happened, police who came upon a horrific scene, and first responders from the Ambulance Service.
Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn also said members of the public who intervened “showed the very best of humanity”.
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The ‘barbaric’ attack has caused widespread outrage and been condemned by politicians and community leaders across NI.
A number of protests have been planned for the evening of Tuesday, June 9, in response to the incident. This has led to a number of businesses closing early and sending their staff home.
If you would like to donate and buy a pint for the ‘knife attack hero’ please follow this link.