'Dog handler risked his life to save mine'

By Emily Walker

Ahmed Huriye

Liden, UK, January 14, 2008 - A MAN attacked by a crazed knifeman has thanked police officers for putting their lives on the line to save him.

Ahmed Huriye feared for his life when a man ran at him with a 20cm knife in the kitchen of his own flat, in Briarswood Court, Liden, on January 3.

Following a 15-minute struggle, security guard Ahmed, 54, finally managed to escape and call 999. Moments later PC Neil Sampson, his dog Anya and a second officer were stabbed.

"I have to thank the police," said Ahmed, who is originally from Somaliland.

"I never imagined someone would sacrifice himself and his dog for me.

"If the police hadn't come as soon as they did it could have been me that was stabbed and I really hope that policeman and his dog recover soon.

"I'm from a Third World country where you never know if the police are going to come when you call them."

Ahmed described how the knife-wielding suspect attacked him in his own home.

He said the man had pounced on him in his kitchen, when he thought he was alone.

"I could see someone running towards me with a knife above his head," he said. "It was like a kitchen bread knife with a 15 to 20cm blade.

"I crossed my hands above my head to stop him.

"I was already in a vulnerable position but my brain took over.

"I was only concerned about two things: not giving him a chance to pick up another knife or weapon, and how I was going to escape because he was between me and the door.

"He was fighting at me for about five minutes, using boxing, karate and things.

"We were in this tiny space, about a meter across. Every time I got near the door he jumped on my back like a horse. And he bit me on the ear and the head and my cheek, trying to stop me getting away.

"Then I decided I had to do something against him to get away and boxed him in the mouth, but it cut all my knuckles making them bleed."

Ahmed eventually managed to flee the tiny flat and ran, covered in blood from the wounds to his head and hands, to the nearby Tesco shop, where he asked staff to call the police.

He said: "I was covered in blood, my blood and his blood.

"And the people in the shop helped me phone the police. I was so shaken up I could hardly speak. They had to speak to them for me and I couldn't remember the address because I had only just moved in.

"Two police women arrived, and I told them there's a man armed with a knife up there and they called the dog team.

"The police really deserve to be thanked.

"You go to work, I go to work, but for their bread they risk their lives."

A man is currently in the Great Western Hospital recovering from dog bites.

Source: Wiltshire.co.uk