A man who brandished a machete in a Birmingham street has been detained indefinitely in a mental health facility – as West Midlands Police releases dramatic footage of the two brave officers who chased him down.
PCs Stuart Hill and Andy Carnall were on plain clothes patrols in September last year when the force received a flurry of 999 calls reporting a man in Printing House Street with a two-foot long blade.
Despite being unarmed the two officers made to the scene and, on spotting Iryan Brown with the weapon, gave chase to the 20-year-old for around half a mile.
At one stage Brown turned to face the pair shouting “come on I’ll chop you up”.
They tried to incapacitate him with CS spray and, despite the threats, continued to pursue the knifeman into Constitution Hill where they disarmed him and wrestled him to the floor. He was also found in possession of a lock knife.
Both bobbies went on to receive Chief Constable’s Commendations – and their Sergeant Dominic Livesey praised the men for their bravery.
He said: “They acted without hesitation for their own safety to arrest an armed and violent suspect… the safety of the public was their first thought.
“This was a scary, violent situation that could have ended very differently and with injury to members of the public had the PCs not responded so bravely and brought the incident to a swift conclusion.”
PC Stuart Hill (pic below receiving his award) – who has worked with West Midlands Police for nine years – recalled: “We were in plain clothes on our way to recce an upcoming operation when the call came through about a man threatening people with a machete.
“I approached him and he appeared very angry and was talking to himself; when I identified myself as a police officer he initially ran but then turned to face us and threatened to ‘chop us up’.
“It was rush hour so the roads were very busy. We knew we had to get a grip of him quickly as there was a clear danger to the public. He was running full pelt past the Children’s Hospital until we caught up with him in Constitution Hill.
“I’m just pleased we managed to get hold of him pretty quickly and no-one was hurt.”
PC Andy Carnall marks 20 years with West Midlands Police in December having worked in a variety of roles including emergency response, neighbourhood policing and plain clothes investigations.
He’s the ‘most experienced’ member of the team at 49… but as the video shows can still give any criminal a run for their money. He added: “I represent the force at cross-country running and entered the Police National Championships this year.
“It keeps me in shape and helps me keep up with the crooks! I remember Brown looking over his shoulder at one stage and appearing shocked I was gaining on him. That’s when he turned and threatened to chop me with the machete.
“There were a lot of people about; we were shouting at them to get out of the way and stay safe. I was concerned he may try to take a swing at someone or hold someone hostage; we had no idea what his intentions were.
“He was getting tired, I caught up with him and swept his legs away before handcuffing him. As we were walking back to our police car I remember quite a few people clapping us in the street and saying well done… it’s nice to know the public appreciate our efforts to keep them safe.”
It’s the second Chief Constable’s Commendation given to PC Hill: he was honoured for arresting a drug dealer in February 2016 who was armed with a loaded handgun in Newtown.
Iryan Brown admitted possessing an offensive weapon and making threats with a bladed article – and at Birmingham Crown Court on 18 July was given an indefinite hospital order under the Mental Health Act.
