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Controversial human rights lawyer Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu has once again stirred up social media by criticising the police after the arrest of the suspect in today's knife attack in North London. Footage showed the man being tasered and kicked several times in the head shortly after two Jewish men, aged 34 and 76, were stabbed in Golders Green. Both are in hospital, with the incident being treated as terror-related.

Dr Shola, who has a long history of inflammatory remarks, posted on X: "Contemptible abuse of police power. Why kick him in the head several times when he's already tasered & in your control? Should he not be alive to be brought to justice in a court of law for stabbing 2 Jews??!! Disgusting."

Her message, which included footage of the arrest, prompted several angry responses, with PGA trainee golf professional Dan Holmes replying: "Don't rise to this women's stupidity. She only wants to crack the whip and stir up hatred.

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"These officers did their job and more today. Easy to sit in your armchair and write this utter nonsense when you've never done a days work in your life."

Rory Miller added: "I knew it wouldn't be long till you woke armchair critics chime in on how to deal with a rampaging knife man. Do tell us Shola, what sort of training you have had with how to restrain a man with a knife? Idiot."

While British police are authorised to use force to protect the public, a kick to the head is not a standard or taught tactic within official training manuals. Officers are primarily trained in "control and restraint" techniques or strikes to large muscle groups, such as the thighs, to incapacitate a suspect.

However, under Section 3 of the Criminal Law Act 1967, an officer may use force that is "reasonable in the circumstances" to prevent a crime. In the context of the Golders Green incident, where an attacker was armed with a knife after a stabbing, a high-level strike might be legally argued as a necessary "distraction strike" to disarm a lethal threat.

This distinction is crucial when comparing the event to the 2024 Manchester Airport incident, where an officer was suspended and faced a criminal investigation for kicking a man who appeared to be prone on the ground.

Unlike the Manchester case, which sparked widespread outrage over the use of force, the justification for force in Golders Green will likely hinge on the immediate danger posed by the suspect's weapon.

Ultimately, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) will determine if the force used today was a proportionate response or an instance of excessive force after reviewing all body-worn footage.

Speaking to the media earlier, Sir Mark said of his officers: "They are nothing short of extraordinary. They confronted a man they believed to be a terrorist, who refused to show his hands, who was violent, and who continued to pose a clear threat.

"These were not armed officers and they feared that he was concealing an explosive device. Using only their training, courage and Tasers, they detained him while he continued to try to attack and stab them.

"They will tell you they were simply doing their jobs, but without their bravery, I dread to think what the outcome could have been."