He didn’t think twice. When a man began attacking people outside Golders Green station on Tuesday afternoon, David Cohen – a 47-year-old volunteer with a local Jewish community patrol group – threw himself into the chaos and grabbed the suspect by the ankle.
“If eyes could kill, I’d be dead,” he told the BBC, describing the moment the suspect turned and locked eyes with him. It’s the kind of look, he said, that stays with you.
Cohen had been nearby when the incident unfolded on the busy North London street. He didn’t wait for instructions. He just moved. Within seconds, he was on the ground, gripping the man’s leg and holding on until police arrived to take over.
“I held him down as best I could. I wasn’t going to let him get away and hurt someone else.”
It’s a remarkable act of instinct from someone who, by his own admission, had no formal training for a situation like this. He volunteers with the Shomrim patrol, a neighbourhood watch organisation that’s been active in parts of North and East London for years, supporting the local Orthodox Jewish community.
Police confirmed a man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of assault. Several people were treated for injuries, though none are believed to be life-threatening. The area around Golders Green Road was cordoned off for several hours as officers carried out their investigation.
What’s striking is how quickly ordinary people stepped in before any official response could reach them. Cohen wasn’t alone; witnesses described others also attempting to intervene, pulling people away and shielding bystanders.
There’s always a debate about whether members of the public should get involved in situations like this. The official advice is usually to keep your distance and call 999. But Cohen isn’t particularly interested in that conversation right now.
He’s just glad the man didn’t get further.
Whether incidents like this will prompt a wider conversation about community patrol groups and their role alongside the police remains to be seen. For now, at least, one North London street is a little safer because someone decided to grab hold.
