THE police officer injured in a knife attack at a Glasgow hotel has thanked his colleagues for saving lives.
Constable David Whyte, 42, was one of six people injured during the incident at the Park Inn Hotel in West George Street on Friday, in which a male suspect was shot and killed by police.
Three of the other people who were injured are asylum seekers, Police Scotland said, while two are members of staff.
All remain in hospital, one in a critical but stable condition, the others in a stable condition.
In a statement posted on Twitter by Police Scotland, Whyte said the scene officers attending the incident were confronted with is something he will never forget.
READ MORE: Glasgow: Scottish Refugee Council releases statement on attack
He added: "As the first responders on scene, myself and my colleague did what all police officers are trained for, to save lives."
The officer, who remains in a stable condition, thanked his colleagues who "put themselves in harm's way to contain this incident and assist with the vital treatment given to myself and others at the scene by other emergency services".
Whyte added: "Despite suffering serious injuries myself, I know that the swift actions of colleagues saved lives and prevented a far more serious incident.
"I would like to thank the medical staff at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for their outstanding care in the hours following this incident.
"Finally, I would like to thank the public for all their kind messages of support and for the good wishes from all at Police Scotland. It means a lot and has brought both myself and my family great comfort at this difficult time."
READ MORE: Glasgow: Police officer injured in attack in stable condition
The constable also asked that his privacy be respected.
Police Scotland, which has said the attack is not being treated as terrorism, has launched an appeal for any witnesses to come forward.
Officers were called to the hotel at 12.50pm and the incident was "quickly contained", the force said.
The suspect was shot by an armed unit and died at the scene.
Following an update from Police Scotland on Saturday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: "My thoughts today remain with Constable Whyte - whose bravery we are all deeply grateful for - and the other people who sustained injuries in yesterday's terrible incident. I wish them all a full and speedy recovery."
The Park Inn hotel was being used to house asylum seekers.
All of those injured are aged between 17 and 53.
READ MORE: Police Scotland not treating Glasgow stabbing as terrorist incident
Meanwhile, a man who said he knew the perpetrator claimed he warned of the attack the night before.
Giving his name as Siraj, he told ITV: "He said 'I will attack' so everyone should take it seriously.
"I told him 'no, there's no need to attack' and he said 'they hate me, I hate them, they are against me'.
"He started to say a lot of stuff like that but I said nobody hates you, nobody knows you, nobody knows each other.
"I reported him to the hotel reception and then the next day, yesterday morning, the housing manager talked to me and I said to him everything he (the attacker) said to me. And in the afternoon, it happened."
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel