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How many riot cops does it take to check
a stopcock?
30 officers and 8 cars to remove pensioner from home
POLICE in full riot gear, backed up by four vans and four squad cars, were called in to arrest a pensioner on Friday who had refused to allow council officials to check his water main.
Neighbours who witnessed the dramatic raid on the 66-year-old man – who had brandished a hammer – were so shocked they video taped the arrest.
Officers in riot gear smashed down the door of the man, known as a recluse, and led him away from his flat in Mortimer Crescent, West Hampstead.
He had refused to allow council staff access to his flat to check a water mains connection, prompting the call to police by the estate manager at Broadoak House.
Police said he reacted violently with a clawhammer when a council carpenter forced entry to his home after he had been seen crouching inside and ignoring their shouts.
But neighbours said he was mentally and physically frail and had a terror of authority because of his fears of being taken into care. Neighbour Gordana Miller said: “He is getting old and he isn’t very well. For all those police to come- it should not take 30 officers and nine cars to get into the flat of one old man. Why wasn’t there a social worker? Or they could have called one of us and we’d have dealt with him easily. He needs looking after.”
Another neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: “I’ve known him for 25 years and he’s harmless. Obviously I don’t know what happened inside the flat but they said that he had a knife and a hammer and they obviously had to take care. But you wouldn’t get that (number of police) if there was a drugs den here, you wouldn’t get anything if you were burgled. How much is it costing the taxpayer for just one frail old man?”
A police spokesman said Kilburn community officers had gone with the estate manager to the flat after the man refused to answer letters requesting access to a mains stopcock as part of the estate’s renovation.
When they entered, he said: “The male came out of the bedroom armed with a claw hammer threatening to attack police. After several shouts for him to stop and drop the hammer, the male continued to aggressively approach police. Despite efforts by the Safer Neighbourhood Team, the male continued his aggressive approach. The Safer Neighbourhood Officers called for assistance and backed away. The male went back to his room and armed himself with two bottles of bleach, a knife and the claw-Hammer. There was a concern for the safety of the male, as well as the Council Officers and police present.”
The man was arrested for threats to kill and later released. The police spokesman said the response was justified: “Police who initially attended were concerned for the male’s safety, as well as that of the council officials and the officers themselves. The male presented an unknown risk whilst in possession of a hammer, bleach and knife, resulting in further officers requested to attend.”
A council press official said improvement works at Broadoak House required staff to get access to seal up a stopcock, that forcing entry was a last resort and that the man had been sent three letters and received two visits before Friday’s incident. She continued: “These were all ignored and we sent a final letter saying we would be forcing entry on Friday 9 March to carry out the work this was also not responded to. Following standard practice the site manager along with a plumber and carpenter attended along with a prearranged police presence to ensure the safety of our staff. Following an incident at the flat the police requested additional support.”
Click on the link below to view footage.
.mov (3.7MB) / .mp4 (6.5MB) |
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