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Horrifying moment man lunges at police with circular saw, as Met reveals attacks on officers spike over Christmas
19 December 2024, 08:20
This is the terrifying moment a man lunges at police with a circular saw, as the Met lifts the lid on the danger its officers can be subjected to.
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Officers had been called out to a flat where the man was having a mental health crisis.
After he swung the saw at the officers, they tasered him and were able to restrain him without causing further harm.
The incident is one of several moments caught on officers' bodyworn cameras that have been released by the Met Police and shared exclusively with LBC.
The force, which is facing officer cuts due to budget restraints, is seeking to highlight the dangers its officers undergo at work.
Man lunges at police officer with a saw as Met releases footage of attacks
This is especially the case over the festive period, the Met said.
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A spokesperson for the force said that incidents of violence towards officers are 26% higher in the eight days over Christmas (23-31) than in the eight days prior.
In another incident, a brave unarmed police officer is seen running at a man who has pulled out a gun and flattens him on a bed to disarm him.
The scene, which took place last July, unfolds as the gunman emerges from a room with a gun in his hand as police wait outside.
One officer can be heard telling him: "Whatever you’re going to do, I suggest you don’t do that".
As he comes out, the officer shouts: "Whoa who whoa, put that gun down now," and pushes the man back down against a bed before taking away the gun and handcuffing him.
Another officer can be heard shouting in the background: "Put it down! Put it down!"
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Other scenes of bravery shared by the Met include officers running into a burning building in north-west London to evacuate residents.
Two officers, along with members of the public, went into the building in Willesden and went up to the first floor to get people out.
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Three residents and one of the officers, who is in his 20s, were taken to hospital after suffering smoke inhalation.
Police bosses praised the officers for their bravery, along with the bystanders who also helped.
A third incident shared by the Met, which took place in May last year, saw officers chase down a man who was wielding a knife in the street.
Footage shared by the force shows the officers confronting the man, who waves the blade wildly towards them. One suffered a two-inch cut.
In a separate incident in north London, footage shows a police officer on a motorbike being knocked over by a teenager car thief, leaving the PC with serious injuries.
In another incident, an officer chased after a man on an e-bike who had been on a phone-snatching spree in Soho.
The officer managed to tackle the robber down and discovered a large zombie knife.
