David Perry: Brave taxi driver who spotted explosives locks suicide bomber in car
The city of Liverpool narrowly averted disaster on Remembrance Day after the heroic actions of one local taxi driver. David Perry became a local hero after he locked a suicide bomber in his car, which exploded just seconds before the nation was to fall into silence. As a result, Perry suffered from non-life-threatening injuries and is currently being treated at a local hospital.
Perry stopped the car just outside the maternity ward of a local hospital, less than a mile from the reported intended target of a Remembrance Day service at Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral. Present at the service were military personnel, veterans, and civic dignitaries. For those unaware, Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in all commonwealth nations, honoring those who gave their lives in combat. It is usually marked at 11:00 AM on November 11, the same time World War 1 was officially declared over.
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Perry's action also led armed police to arrest three others in the city, as part of a probe into the incident. The identity of the bomber has not yet been revealed, and the city is still on high alert after the incident. In his update, Prime Minister Boris Johnson didn't mention Perry by name, instead saying, "My thoughts are with all those affected by the awful incident in Liverpool today. I want to thank the emergency services for their quick response and professionalism, and the police for their ongoing work on the investigation."
Who is David Perry?
So far, little is known about Perry beyond his brave actions. We couldn't find any social media profiles linked to him, but he's certainly being widely talked about both on Facebook and Twitter. It's believed Perry is from Kirkdale, a district of Liverpool. On Sunday, November 11, he was just going about his day, when one passenger changed his life forever. A friend of Perry's told The Daily Mail, "The passenger asked David to go to the cathedral so we believe that was the intended target. But they got stuck in heavy traffic so the passenger asked to go to the hospital instead."
Just outside the hospital, it is reported Perry noticed the passenger had explosives and was behaving suspiciously throughout the trip, so he quickly locked him in the car and escaped. The resulting explosion also appeared to injure Perry, with another person noting on Facebook, "He's in a bad, bad way. He's a fellow driver on delta. He's had his ear sewn back on, got burns and shrapnel wounds, and other pretty serious injuries."
Right now, there's still a lot of confusion regarding the event, with police still investigating. Merseyside Police chief constable Serena Kennedy said, "So far we understand that the car involved was a taxi which pulled up at the hospital shortly before the explosion occurred. Work is still going on to establish what has happened and could take some time before we are in a position to confirm anything."
Hours after the blast, police raided a house in another part of the city and arrested three men in their 20s. Police are also still present outside the hospital, and asking people not to show up unless they have confirmed appointments. Friends for Perry have also started a fundraiser on GoFundMe, with a target of £20,000 (around $26,800) to help with his recovery, family expenses, and purchase a new vehicle.