Armed police incident at Manchester Piccadilly 03/02

[johntea]

Just come across this article

"I was shaken up... our platform was lined with police with rifles"

One passenger claims a man was arrested at the scene

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Passengers were left 'shaken up' after armed police 'with rifles' stormed a train at Manchester on Saturday night (February 3). Officers descended onto the Northern train from Sheffield, which arrived at Piccadilly station shortly after 11.40pm.

A number of witnesses reported that more than a dozen armed officers were seen after the train stopped at platform one. After officers stormed onto the train, they were reportedly seen restraining one man who was then taken away.

One eyewitness told the Manchester Evening News 'there was a real commotion' as the train was 'stormed by armed police' and passengers were told to remain on board.

Another passenger on board said that the platform was 'lined with armed police with rifles' when the train pulled into the station and that they were left 'shaken up' after being asked to move carriages.

They said: "As we were pulling into Manchester Piccadilly station, passengers stood up and were waiting by the doors to disembark. Suddenly we saw that our platform was lined with armed police with rifles. As the train stopped, they were looking into the train for someone.

"Officers in pairs entered the train and told everyone to sit down. It was very tense. There was a commotion further towards the front of the train on the other side of the toilets to the carriage I was on, and officers rushed to this.

"We heard someone being restrained. Officers told us to move down the train away from the carriage. Nothing happened for a few moments, then an officer came into our carriage and shouted for the train manager to get the doors open. We were directed up towards platform 14 instead of towards the barriers, where there must have been between 20-30 officers present. I was quite shaken up."

Another eyewitness, who was on the train, said: "Police went up and down the carriages shouting. They closed the doors, only opening the front to let police in, and kept us on the train for about seven minutes. At one point they shouted at the conductor, who was controlling the doors, to come and lock the middle carriage doors - the ones nearest the toilet."

The eyewitness said that passengers were eventually escorted from the train and out of the station 'round the back', instead of through the ticket barriers. She added: "I looked back and there were loads of police, maybe 20, as well as train staff and police dogs - who were going mad."

Greater Manchester Police have confirmed they were alerted to assist British Transport Police with the incident. Both British Transport Police and Northern have both been approached for comment.

Don't think I can recall any similar incidents in recent years involving an armed response like this

 

[AlterEgo]

This has happened numerous times; usually any time someone is reported to be carrying a firearm or there are gangs with knives.

Just a few on the first page of Google from the last couple of years.

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/armed-police-board-train-passengers-27523325

Armed police swoop on Stratford train station

Dramatic scenes at Stratford train station after reports of passenger with offensive weapon

www.stratford-herald.com

Passengers forced off train by armed police in city station due to incident

Police were pictured on a platform carrying guns at Jewellery Quarter station on Tuesday.

www.express.co.uk

Armed police lock down UK train station and 'ask to see everyone's hands'

Gun-toting police officers flooded into Cardiff Central station causing major delays and confusion among travellers, with the cause of the incident not currently known

www.dailystar.co.uk

Armed police swarm outside train station in response to serious incident

Armed police have swarmed outside a train station as they responded to a serious incident this afternoon.

uk.finance.yahoo.com

 

[mrcheek]

a reminder that whilst armed police are now a fairly common sight, Britain is still an outlier, in that police are not generally armed as they are in other countries.

I remember after the London bridge terror attacks, the number of armed police was dramatically increased. But, because the idea was to reassure people rather than frighten them, police forces were posting on social media, actively encouraging people to approach them, and get their kids to take photos.
Gotta love the traditions of British policing

 

[Bantamzen]

I've noticed more armed Police around Leeds in recent weeks. Perhaps with more tensions around the world, and especially the Middle East they are stepping up their operations?

 

[thelongestroad]

Reading those local news reports make your brain hurt.

 

[renegademaster]

Pre 2020ish their used to always be a few police with MP5s keeping watch over London Victoria, but ive not seem them in quite a while

 

[Russel]

Knowing Northern, it was probably in response to someone with an advance ticket travelling on the wrong service.

 

[Acfb]

This was to do with a false sighting of Abdul Ezedi. I don't know why he'd be in Manchester. He will probably be in London, Newcastle or dead I would think?

 

[Russel]

This was to do with a false sighting of Abdul Ezedi. I don't know why he'd be in Manchester. He will probably be in London, Newcastle or dead I would think?

The bloke has half his face melted, there can't be too many other people out there matching his description, how was it possible to have a false sighting?

 

[transportphoto]

This was to do with a false sighting of Abdul Ezedi.

Have you a source for this information?

 

[faltskog36abba]

Have you a source for this information?

Manchester evening news- But I don't have a link.

 

[Elwyn]

The bloke has half his face melted, there can't be too many other people out there matching his description, how was it possible to have a false sighting?

This BBC link quotes BTP as saying they received a report on 3rd Feb that the suspect was at Manchester Piccadilly.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-68188055

If Ezedi is travelling he’ll presumably try and disguise himself eg with dark glasses and perhaps some form of head or face covering. Someone whose face wasn’t fully visible perhaps led to the incorrect identification?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Here's the link to the Manchester Evening News web article...

Armed police storm Manchester train after 'sighting' of chemical attack suspect

Abdul Ezedi is still on the run after the chemical attack in Clapham

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Extracts...

Officers 'armed with rifles' descended onto the Northern train from Sheffield, which arrived at Piccadilly shortly after 11.40pm.

British Transport Police today (Monday) confirmed they were responding to reports of a sighting of Ezedi - who is wanted following a chemical attack on a 31-year-old woman and her daughters, aged eight and three, in Clapham. The sighting was later confirmed to be a 'false alarm'.

 

[Towers]

Reading those local news reports make your brain hurt.

They do!

Knowing Northern, it was probably in response to someone with an advance ticket travelling on the wrong service.

Brilliant!

There was incident on an SWR service last week involving an impromptu station evacuation and an armed police response, allegedly due to report of a knife. Armed police will respond robustly to most weapon reports nowadays, not just firearms, which is perhaps one reason why this sort of incident appears more common.

 

[greyman42]

The bloke has half his face melted, there can't be too many other people out there matching his description, how was it possible to have a false sighting?

Perhaps any male of that age with a facial disfigurement will raise the alarm.

 

[fraser158]

At least they *only* restrained this falsely identified person. Ahem.

 

[greyman42]

At least they *only* restrained this falsely identified person. Ahem.

What are you getting at?

 

[AlterEgo]

What are you getting at?

The police have done worse to wrongly identified men on public transport before.

 

[Edsmith]

The police have done worse to wrongly identified men on public transport before.

Indeed, the incident at Stockwell.

 

[greyman42]

The police have done worse to wrongly identified men on public transport before.

If you are referring to the Menezes incident at Stockwell then those circumstances do not compare in the slightest to the Ezedi situation.

 

[Lost property]

You have to "love " the M.E.N's reporting. Once a quality regional newspaper, but long since reduced to nothing more than a "celeb / football / adverts " outlet.

Did the police rapelle (they descended remember) SAS style, before "storming " aboard the train...no mention of kicking the windows in or using stun grenades which is usually the SOP...they just entered via the carriage doors it seems....which is clearly nowhere near as dramatic.

Also, the "shocked " passengers. Armed police may not be a common every day sight, but, they are also far from being uncommon, certainly at incidents that warrant their presence and airports.

 

[43066]

If you are referring to the Menezes incident at Stockwell then those circumstances do not compare in the slightest to the Ezedi situation.

Both men were wrongly identified by the police as others, who were highly dangerous, on the public transport network. I can see a few similarities.

 

[sprunt]

Even if this had been him, why would you choose to make the arrest like that on a crowded train? Wouldn't it be better to keep him under surveillance as he disembarks and make the arrest in a more open area?

Also, the "shocked " passengers. Armed police may not be a common every day sight, but, they are also far from being uncommon, certainly at incidents that warrant their presence and airports.

It's one thing to see armed police wandering round a station or outside parliament, it's another to have a big group of them suddenly appear on the train.

 

[800001]

Even if this had been him, why would you choose to make the arrest like that on a crowded train? Wouldn't it be better to keep him under surveillance as he disembarks and make the arrest in a more open area?



It's one thing to see armed police wandering round a station or outside parliament, it's another to have a big group of them suddenly appear on the train.

How would you know where he would alight? How many people follow to keep him under surveillance?
How do you get the right amount of resource to where he gets off yo make the arrest?

A lot of ifs!

Am sure the police have a protocol for what to do.

Suppose no different to armed police boarding planes to arrests people when planes land at airports

 

[Edsmith]

If you are referring to the Menezes incident at Stockwell then those circumstances do not compare in the slightest to the Ezedi situation.

It sounds to me like it was very similar to the Stockwell incident and I'm not surprised that passengers were left shaken.

 

[Lost property]

Even if this had been him, why would you choose to make the arrest like that on a crowded train? Wouldn't it be better to keep him under surveillance as he disembarks and make the arrest in a more open area?



It's one thing to see armed police wandering round a station or outside parliament, it's another to have a big group of them suddenly appear on the train.

Up to a point, yes, however, I think a lot of the public are now influenced by social media / reality shows and thus default to "OMG ! " reaction when confronted with real life. Personally, I would be perturbed, and wary, given I've seen GMP's lack of weapon discipline at times, first hand.