- Written by Thomas Mackintosh
- bbc news
Video: Manhunt to catch suspect who drugged woman and her two daughters and fled
Three of Britain's largest police forces are at the center of a nationwide search for a man suspected of attacking a mother and two young girls with alkaline drugs in south London on Wednesday.
Police warned anyone who saw Abdul Shokur Ezedi not to approach him and to call 999.
The BBC is piecing together what is known so far.
What happened in Clapham?
The Metropolitan Police launched an investigation at 10pm Japan time on Wednesday after several people were injured by a “corrosive substance”.
Initial details say a 31-year-old woman and two girls, aged three and eight, were seriously injured after a substance was thrown at them on Lesser Avenue, near Clapham Common, at 7.25pm. They were taken to the hospital and remain there.
One couple told the BBC they tried to help by fetching water from their home.
Five Metropolitan Police Department police officers were injured during the response, and four civilians who tried to help were also injured.
Three women and one man tried to stop the attackers as they fled the scene. He tried to drive away but collided with a parked vehicle and continued on foot towards Clapham Common.
A police helicopter was used to search for the man on Wednesday night after he was seen running from the scene.
What do we know about the Clapham suspect?
On Thursday morning, police named the suspect as 35-year-old Abdul Shokur Ezzedi.
The BBC understands that Ezzedi, originally from Afghanistan, arrived in the UK by truck in 2016 and was later granted asylum.
He lives in Newcastle and is believed to have traveled from the North East on Wednesday.
Ezzedi was found guilty of “sexual assault/exposure” at Newcastle Crown Court in 2018 and received a suspended prison sentence, including an unpaid work order.
Once that was completed in 2020, Ezzedi was released from probation.
Ezzedi's asylum request was rejected twice, but was granted a third time in 2021 or 2022, when Ezzedi said it would be dangerous for him to return to Afghanistan because he had converted to Christianity. .
Detectives believe he is acquainted with the family of those injured in Clapham, but said the exact relationship was not yet clear.
image source, Metropolitan Police Department
Abdul Shakoor Ezedi, 35, was last seen on Caledonian Road in north London and police warned the public not to approach him.
Where are the suspects in the Clapham attack?
As the investigation progressed on Thursday, the Metropolitan Police released updated images of the last known sighting of Ezzedi, about 70 minutes after the attack in Clapham.
Police said Ezzedi was last seen at 8.48pm inside a Tesco Express car on Caledonian Road, Islington, about 8.7km from Lesser Avenue.
He is believed to have bought a bottle of water before leaving the store and turning right onto Caledonian Road.
The Metropolitan Police Department released an image showing “significant injuries” on the right side of his face.
“This is what makes him distinctive,” said Supt Gabriel Cameron.
The image, taken about 70 minutes after the attack, shows the suspect at a Tesco Express in north London.
Are the Clapham attack victims still in hospital?
So far, a total of 12 people are known to have been injured in Wednesday's attack.
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, the woman at the center of the attack and her two young daughters remain hospitalized.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley told BBC Radio London that some of the victim's burns were “severe”.
The force said none of the symptoms were life-threatening, but the injuries to the woman and 3-year-old girl could be life-changing.
He added that it may take some time before hospital staff can determine the severity of the illness.
Five responding police officers were injured and taken to hospital, but have since been released.
Three women, two women in their 30s and one woman in her 50s, who came to the aid of their families, were injured. They were released from the hospital with only minor burns, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said.
A man in his 50s who also cooperated refused hospital treatment due to minor injuries.
Metropolitan Police Department Commissioner: “Crime suspects also know victims''
How will police try to track down the Clapham suspect?
Ezzedi's whereabouts and movements after the sighting at Islington Tesco are unknown.
There was increased police presence in the area Thursday night. It is close to London King's Cross Station, where trains depart for Newcastle.
There is also a growing presence around Newcastle's biker area, where Ezedi is believed to live.
Officers also asked local residents and motorists in and around Clapham to check their doorbells and dashcams to see if they had caught the man fleeing the area.
The Clapham South Belvedere Hotel, just meters away, confirmed that a guest was the victim of the attack.
A former Northumbria Police chief constable who organized the search for killer Raoul Mort in July 2010 said “23 different forces” were working together.
Sue Sim told BBC Radio 5 Live: “When British police work together, they are no better at catching crime.
“British Transport Police (BTP), Northumbria Police will be involved…because that's where he is.” [Ezedi] known to live.
“Information will be passed across the force and officers will be reminded to keep an eye out for this man in their daily briefings.
“Officers will be combing through CCTV cameras at every station in the area to check for any relatives or friends and to ensure they trace this man.”
