Guard who took down Toronto machete attacker says he's no hero

The private security guard who took down a machete-wielding man outside a downtown Toronto shopping centre yesterday says he wasn't afraid while tackling the suspect. 

• Toronto machete attack takedown captured on video
• Man charged with attempted murder after machete attack near Eaton Centre

"I didn't have time to think, I just did what I was trained to do," Nathaniel McNeil told reporters at a news conference today. "I wasn't even thinking about being scared. I just wanted to stop what he was doing and think about the safety of the people."

Nathaniel, who is six feet four inches tall and weighs 270 pounds, knocked the suspect to the floor by tackling him from behind football-style. His boss called it a textbook takedown. 

"We are proud of the actions of our security staff in the handling of this dangerous situation," said Ted Salter, vice-president of McNeil's employer, Paragon Security. Salter said without the intervention of McNeil and another guard, Phillip Bonaparte, "the outcome could have been much worse."

McNeil told the news conference how he moved toward the entrance doors of the Atrium shopping centre on Bay Street at Dundas West. Spying from inside, McNeil saw that the suspect's back was to him. That's when he quickly moved through the doors and jumped the suspect from behind. 

"I'm pretty big but I had to go quickly and hard," said McNeil. 

McNeil scoffed at suggestions that he is a hero. 

"I'm just doing my job, that's it," he said.  "It's a relief that somebody like that are off the streets."

Moments before the takedown, a man was injured in a machete attack that police say was unprovoked.

The attack happened just after 4:30 p.m. as the streets were full of last-minute shoppers.

Witnesses said the accused attacker was swinging a machete at a male victim, 30, who was on the sidewalk and trying to defend himself with his feet. The victim suffered knife wounds to his head and leg. A bystander tried to stop the attack, intervening long enough to allow the victim to run inside a nearby building. 

That's when the suspect moved toward the Atrium entrance, where McNeil executed his takedown. 

Police said yesterday the injured man is in stable condition. 

• Man charged with attempted murder after machete attack near Eaton Centre

The suspect was arrested by police shortly after McNeil knocked him to the floor and placed him in handcuffs.

​Arlington Thompson, 35, of Queens, N.Y., was arrested at the scene and is charged with: 

• Attempted murder. 
• Aggravated assault.
• Weapons dangerous. 
• Assault with a weapon. 

Thompson is scheduled to appear in court today.