Justin Fenn, manager of the Londis shop, said his CCTV cameras had filmed the incident from several angles. He said: 'The policeman pulled up and the man's brandishing a bottle. He's just tipped out contents and he's brandishing it, instantly confrontational to the policeman.
'I can only imagine the policeman's asked him to move, and he just wants to have an argument. He's shouting and screaming.
'[The police officer] got the pepper spray. He's asking for assistance [via his radio set] because he [man in wheelchair] is not doing anything rational.'
Sensible chap, Justin. Sadly, enrichment has ensured he's a lone voice of rationality...
Diari 'Jay' Salih, 40, who runs a barbershop opposite where the altercation happened, said witnesses were shocked by the incident. He said he had approached the police officer and told him to stop after allegedly seeing the man being pepper-sprayed. Mr Salih added: 'Nobody's happy about this. I can't get the image out of my head. People around here now do not feel safe with the police.'
*sigh* So 'unsafe' you're happy to march up to them on the street and tell them how to do their job?
Carla Carvalho, 43, who works at a nearby business, described how the man in the wheelchair had been 'in the middle of the road, dancing and singing and all happy when the policeman comes and stops him'. She told the BBC: 'He was trying to get up with a bottle of beer in hand and I think the police guy thinks he was going to throw the bottle at him. Then you see in the video the police guy punches him. 'Whatever they say to each other I don't know, but he doesn't need to do this. He should be waiting for other ones [police officers].'
Everyone's an expert on policing, but you'll note that those commenting would, no doubt, find much more robust policing in their countries of origin.
3 comments:
Problem is, the police are just so useless. I have a minor problem at the moment which is entirely caused by police incompetence. 30 seconds of work by them would have saved a lot of people days of effort and worry.
I only ever arrested one Raspberry in my career. I stopped a car driving very badly one night duty and I pulled it over. The driver stunk of booze so I asked him to step out of the car so I could breathalyse him. He refused to get out and I thought I was in for a roll-around. However he lifted up his trousers and said " I've got no legs". My mate fell about laughing as I noticed the steering wheel controls and a wheelchair in the back of the car.
Anyway he blew over the limit and I had to wait whilst his wife lifted him out and put him in his chair. A van turned up which in those days was not disabled friendly and we had to lift him in (he was a lump).
I pushed him into the custody and the Sergeant kept a completely straight face. I was actually quite pleased when he blew one point under the limit. I then had to drive him back and lift him back into the car. I didn't live this down for quite a while.
Jaded.
"Problem is, the police are just so useless. I have a minor problem at the moment which is entirely caused by police incompetence."
Let me guess, not some 'flavour of the month' crime?
" My mate fell about laughing as I noticed the steering wheel controls and a wheelchair in the back of the car."
You can always rely on your mates!
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