Woolwich murder suspect released from hospital and in custody

One of the two suspects in the murder of UK soldier Lee Rigby was released from the hospital and taken into custody at a London police station.

The 22-year-old man, identified by the BBC as Michael Adebowale, was shot by police at the scene of the attack in southeast London last week. He was additionally arrested yesterday on suspicion of attempting to murder a police officer, the Metropolitan Police Service said.

The attack, which took place on a busy road in broad daylight, has heightened tensions over security in Britain and raised fresh fears of home-grown terrorism.

Rigby was stabbed with knives and cleavers in the neighbourhood of Woolwich, across the street from an army barracks. Police are treating the case as an act of terrorism.

London police have arrested 10 people in the probe into Rigby's death, including Adebowale and a 28-year-old man at the scene. The second man at the scene, who has been identified by the BBC and other UK media as Michael Adebolajo, remains in a London hospital.

Video footage showed a man, his hands covered in blood and holding a cleaver and a knife, speaking after the attack. “We must fight them as they fight us,” he said in a London accent. “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Your people will never be safe. Remove your government, they don’t care about you.”

Eight other suspects have been arrested in the London case, seven of whom were released. Five people have been bailed, pending further inquiries and two were let go without charges. The hospitalisation of the two main suspects had given police extra time to investigate Rigby’s killing before facing a deadline to charge them.

Now that one has been released, police will have 36 hours to file charges against him or seek an extension from a judge to hold him in custody. Rigby, father of a two-year-old son, was a drummer in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

About 500 police officers and other investigators, including members of counterterrorism units, are working on the case, home secretary Theresa May has said. – (Bloomberg)