Dramatic Body Cam Shows Police Disarm Knifeman With Taser

3 November 2017, 13:56 | Updated: 17 January 2018, 16:39

This is the moment firearms officers safely disarmed a man as he marched towards them carrying two knives.

The dramatic footage was captured on body cameras.

It shows armed police racing towards a residential block in Birmingham city centre following reports that a man had stabbed two knives into a wooden reception desk.

Staff locked themselves in an office and called police.

The 20-year-old man has been jailed for a year by Birmingham Crown Court.

Aron Tesfalem told police he was drunk and angry after a laptop he had paid £400 for failed to materialise.

He claimed not to have understood the officers’ commands and said he did not know what his intentions with the knives were.

He pleaded guilty to two charges of possessing a bladed article following the confrontation.

Tesfalem was ordered around 10 times to drop the knives before officers, who have their guns drawn, decided to deploy the Taser.

West Midlands police says its released the images to show the threats firearms officers routinely face, as well as the power of body worn video (BWV) in capturing vital evidence for court.

Chief Inspector Danny Delaney, from the firearms unit, said: “This incident is an example of the professionalism and restraint West Midlands firearms officers demonstrate when dealing with highly volatile violent incidents.

“Officers undergo 14 weeks of intensive training where they are trained to deal with all types of situations, always trying to use the minimum amount of force necessary." 

Acting Sergeant Will Salt, the force’s expert on body worn video, said: “The cameras are able to show exactly how events unfolded and provide the best possible evidence in court, often when people are contesting versions of events.

“They are an important tool in our commitment to be transparent and open with the public.”