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Armed police swoop on fancy dress revellers in Weymouth (From Thisisdorset)
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Armed police swoop on fancy dress revellers in Weymouth
8:00am Saturday 2nd January 2010
ARMED police surrounded a house in Weymouth amid reports that a man was brandishing a gun.
The police helicopter was scrambled and the armed response unit mobilised during the incident.
After surrounding the house armed officers marched a group of young men outside at gunpoint.
However, it turned out that the man was one of a number of friends preparing for a fancy dress party and had a BB gun as part of his costume.
The police swooped after reports that a car passenger in Wyke Regis, Weymouth, was holding a handgun and traced the vehicle to the Park District.
Driver Max Nash was stopped outside his home in Hardwick Street before officers used his mobile phone to call his friends inside.
Mr Nash, 21, said: “I went to get out of the car when armed response pulled across the road.
“One of them said ‘stay in the vehicle and put your arms on the vehicle or we will shoot you.’ “He said if I moved he was going to shoot me.
“There were five or six guns being pointed at me so it was scary to start off with but it was funny in the end.”
His friends inside told how they were warned to leave the gun and were warned to show their hands as they came out or risk being shot.
Tom Bell, 20, from Portland, had been to his friend’s house to borrow the gun for his army costume.
He said: “My friend got a call and it was one of the police officers telling him to come downstairs.
“We were all sat up here while Max was downstairs at gunpoint and they had the helicopter out as well.
“They told us to put the gun on the table and walk down the stairs one by one.
“They had us at gunpoint and told my friend to get his hands out of his pockets or he’d be shot.”
Mr Bell said the BB gun was confiscated. He said the group was warned not to have them in public and that it was to be destroyed as it was dangerous.
He added: “I was so shocked to have guns pointed at me.
“I’m only used to it on computer games like Call of Duty.
“The gun was only for a bit of fun and I wasn’t even taking it into town. I was going to a party.
“They said it’s an offence but there must be loads of people on New Year’s Eve with guns that look just like that.
“It’s certainly made it a New Year’s Eve to remember.
Jarrid Pollard, 19, was on his way to see his friends but could not get through due to the police closing off Hardwick Street.
He said: “Obviously someone saw the gun in the carand reported it thinking it was a real gun.”
A Dorset Police spokesman said they received a report that a male passenger in a Vauxhall car was leaning out of a window with a handgun in his hand as the car drove along Douglas Road in Weymouth at 12.53pm on New Year’s Eve.
He said: “Enquiries were made and an area search commenced, culminating in the Vauxhall car being found parked in Hardwick Street.
“Officers entered a nearby address and spoke with five men all between 19 and 21 years of age.
“As is normal in such circumstances armed officers, supported by unarmed colleagues, dealt with the incident.
“The police helicopter was also deployed to the incident.
“A BB gun and pellets were handed over to the officers and the men were advised that incidents of this nature cause public concern and are also an unnecessary drain on police resources.”
Neighbour Jo Hutchings, 43, from Brownlow Street, said the operation was a waste of public money.
She said: “The lads there are good lads and the police just jumped out with their guns.
“It’s not right.
“Ask someone first.
“No one’s that dangerous in Weymouth.”
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Your Say YourDorset
Dispirited, Weymouth says...
9:42am Sat 2 Jan 10
popup, portland says...
9:48am Sat 2 Jan 10
Stoneman, Portland says...
10:15am Sat 2 Jan 10
portlandboy, wyke regis says...
10:31am Sat 2 Jan 10
r50mini wrote:...And I suppose you think that airport security checks should be carried out once the plane lands at it's destination, only wasting time and money questioning terrorists if they blow it up mid-flight???
We wonder why the public have lost confidence in the Police. This is a total overreaction and heavy handedness by the Police. They do not seem to be able to use tact and diplomacy in dealing with the public. The individuals had not been involved in a violent crime, so why could the Police not use a low key approach, rather than going in guns blazing.
dorwey, weymouth says...
11:48am Sat 2 Jan 10
Now who's over reacting?
If he had picked the BB gun up from a mates house as part of his fancy dress, why did the police recover pellets? what part of his fancy dress would they have been used in?
Iona, says...
12:20pm Sat 2 Jan 10
If it is a toy and is it illegal to sell them to children above a certain age or size or to sell them to children for the use of adults?
mark@greenhill, weymouth says...
12:25pm Sat 2 Jan 10
We wonder why the public have lost confidence in the Police. This is a total overreaction and heavy handedness by the Police. They do not seem to be able to use tact and diplomacy in dealing with the public. The individuals had not been involved in a violent crime, so why could the Police not use a low key approach, rather than going in guns blazing.
If, as is claimed he was waving this gun around in public, he should have spent the night in the cells in my opinion.
In this day & age, the police have absolutely no choice as to how they react, this stupid fool should have known better.
bkiddus, Poole says...
2:09pm Sat 2 Jan 10
Iona, says...
3:03pm Sat 2 Jan 10
Nobody should carry toy guns, or pieces of wood or suspicious looking vegetables (single carrots or single bananas) that look like guns in available light. In fact one would be in danger if half-seen putting these into a bag.
chesil, portland says...
3:35pm Sat 2 Jan 10
Genghis, Portland says...
4:15pm Sat 2 Jan 10
What would have happened if it wwasn't a toy gun or a BB gun and somebody was injured or killed? The Police would have been taken to pieces for not taking the original report seriously. No, from what is in the OHEC report the Police did not go in all guns blazing. They handled this in a controlled and professional manner that pteserved the safety of all involved. So let's give them a bit of credit when it's due.
chesil, portland says...
4:22pm Sat 2 Jan 10
Get a grip, weymouth says...
4:33pm Sat 2 Jan 10
dorwey, weymouth says...
4:53pm Sat 2 Jan 10
And of course Weymouth is a safe place and no need for Police intervention, just ask the fella that was knifed the other day in Park street!!
chesil, portland says...
5:21pm Sat 2 Jan 10
popup, portland says...
5:48pm Sat 2 Jan 10
chesil, portland says...
6:14pm Sat 2 Jan 10
mark@greenhill, weymouth says...
6:40pm Sat 2 Jan 10
I am roughly the same age as you, & also used to own & carry both air rifles & a shotgun, but then the police used to turn a blind eye to drink driving & whole host of other crimes going on back then.
Yes times were more innocent, gun crime was rare as born out by the fact that I doubt weymouth police station even possessed a gun, let alone had an armed response unit?
In this instance, the police had absolutely no option other than to take this report seriously. The person who reported it also had no choice other than to ring the police, as both would have been completely condemned if they had dismissed it as trivial, & then it turned out to be real.
As for the brain dead simpleton who waved a gun around in public, yes he should be charged for wasting the police time & presented with the bill for the costs. Idiots like him are a waste of time & space.
irisred, Weymouth says...
6:52pm Sat 2 Jan 10
Why did anyone think it would be a good idea to take a BB gun out (and why did they have pellets?) on NYE. You can buy fake plastic guns that are perectly acceptable for fancy dress.
People can be seriously wounded by BB guns, the fact that someone was obviously waving it around while travelling from Portland to town just proves that they weren't mentally capable of using it responsibly!
I think they got off lightly.
chesil, portland says...
6:55pm Sat 2 Jan 10
zbennyz, Weymouth says...
8:14pm Sat 2 Jan 10
Dorsetdumpling, Weymouth says...
8:32pm Sat 2 Jan 10
Clearly the much reported police call screening system doesn't apply to firearms calls:
"What's that caller? - a bunch of young lads... in a car,..right,...wavin
g a gun?..oh dear.. on..let's just check that..yes, New Year's eve..in.. where was that again? - Weymouth? - O..K....? er, would that be the same Weymouth that's famous for the New Year fancy dress celebrations?? yeees..right, leave it with me sir we'll send a PCSO round, let's see, - yes next Thursday."
Seriously 'though - is a full blown 100% armed response ("do as I say or I'll shoot you") needed in each and every case like this? - in the heat of the moment, with sirens, blues, the guns, the flak jacket, the helicopter, the testosterone (apologies to any female firearms officers) the red mist will inevitably come down and it's only a matter of time before a nervous finger gets just a little too tense on the trigger.
Techie, Weymouth says...
9:29pm Sat 2 Jan 10
portlandresident, Portland says...
1:42pm Sun 3 Jan 10
tombell999, weymouth says...
6:32pm Sun 3 Jan 10
Tike, Weymouth says...
8:08pm Sun 3 Jan 10
tombell999, weymouth says...
10:06pm Sun 3 Jan 10
Tike wrote:Tike, you have made my day! It will be one to tell the grand kids when im older (that is if im not in prison!)
Tom Bell, you have just ruined a typical mis-informed echo rant, you may not be a thug but you are guilty of letting the truth get in the way of reporting - shame on you!!! Hope all the drama didn't ruin your New Year. The next time I need the police to respond to anything I now know that if I get a BB gun I'll be in with a chance!
dorwey, weymouth says...
10:12am Mon 4 Jan 10
The police were very specific in saying that "was leaning out of a window with a handgun in his hand as the car drove along".
So someones telling porkies!
tombell999, weymouth says...
12:30pm Mon 4 Jan 10
Dorsetdumpling, Weymouth says...
12:32pm Mon 4 Jan 10
Techie wrote:Yees Techie, and highly trained police drivers on calls never cause accidents........
People with nervous trigger fingers don't tend to get to be armed police officers. Armchair experts on the internets - more probable.
(You were right that I was typing from an armchair 'though - having a bit of a rest after many years as a firearms instructor and range officer)
dorwey, weymouth says...
4:52pm Mon 4 Jan 10
tombell999 wrote:You're welcome, x-ray vision would explain it.
well there is windows on a car so my guess is they seen through them? But im not telling porkies thanks!
Armed police in the street
A celebration among friends got off to a rocky start
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r50mini, Blandford says...
9:20am Sat 2 Jan 10
The individuals had not been involved in a violent crime, so why could the Police not use a low key approach, rather than going in guns blazing.