"We were called on the 19th at approx 20:50hrs to reports of two males fighting. When we arrived on scene members of the public informed us a male was running down the street with a knife in his hand, he (Suspect 3) was chased and arrested by police along the Uxbridge Road, W12.
- Suspect 1 26yr old male was arrested for affray
- Suspect 2 25yr old male was arrested for assault
- Suspect 3 34yr old male was arrested for possession of an offensive weapon and theft".
Just consider what that little update, which you'll read and then forget about, actually meant to a real life person wearing that uniform last night as they chased a knife wielding man who quite possibly had just used it on someone else down Uxbridge Road.
People are always very quick to criticise the Police but how many of us would be brave enough to do what they do, day in day out? We owe them a huge debt of gratitude.
I received a lot of questions about this and search engine results too - so hope this puts minds at rest. There were some fearsome rumours doing the rounds on Twitter and search engines about what all of that was about last night. Now then.. watch the rest of the local media cut and paste the above for their sites but lets hope for a bit more professionalism from one over-dramatic website in particular ...
UPDATE 1215 - A reader has left another more detailed description of how this violence blew up and what seemed to be fuelling it in the comments below. A bike and altercations in the Vue cinema - but alcohol most of all. Same old story I guess. Fulham Chronicle has now caught up with a bare bones account based on the police quote above, while others have yet to report it at all.
UPDATE 1300 - Our favourite over-dramatic website has now finally caught up with last night's events but this time is just cut and pasting the police statement. Better than the usual I supppose.
Suspect 1 and 2 left VUE drunk harrassed suspect 3. Suspect 2 provoked a fight and in the ensuing brawl chased suspect 3 across the green. Suspect 3 was then chased back into the VUE cinema area and suspect 1 and 2 left with suspects 3's bag and bicycle. Suspect 3 returned from Morrisons with a weapon and tried to retrieve his bike and bag. The fight continued down Uxbridge road with the police intervening.
ReplyDeleteThe only things I have to comment is the first two suspects had been drinking (which really should be highlighted as a common cause of violence)to provoke a fight and the suspect with the weapon was chased into the store. Not everything you see here is as obvious as suspect 3 being some sort of knife weilding maniac looking for trouble.
I agree that the Police were brave.
thanks - were you an eye witness to all this?
ReplyDeleteYes I had just left the movies at the time. I spoke to the Police about what I saw.
ReplyDeleteI saw what happened from the beginning. Shocked to have such a clear view - I'm not a Londoner and have only ever heard reportings etc of stabbings and violence on the news. Last night certainly opened my eyes to Shepherds Bush and bike thieves!! Had seen "Date Night" in the Vue Cinema at West 12. Afterwards, around 8.30pm we went to the Chinese restaurant at the top of West 12. Massive restaurant with big glass windows directly opposite Shepherds Bush Green - saw the whole thing right below us. My friend suddenly said "that white guy is punching that black guy. The white guy has just mouthed 'what the f*** are you doing, that's my f*****g bike'". At first it looked like these two guys were just mucking about because they were chasing and grabbing onto each other and trying to drag one another across the busy road on Shepherds Bush Green outside the Vue cinema (below us). We saw people stopping and a crowd began to form as the two huys punched each other below us outside the Vue cinema entrance. Then it looked like things had finished because then we saw the white guy walking away with his bike with what looked like his friend, another white guy in a bright green top. I was about to get up and go to the buffet when suddenly I saw the black guy directly below me again. He was tall and looked athletic. He had taken his top off, revealing a long white sleeveless basketball shirt. By this time the white guy wheeling his bike was two roads away, talking to his friend as they walked towards the tube station. They were completely oblivious to what was about to happen next. I was stunned to see the black guy suddenly start dodging oncoming traffic, bounding and leaping across the two busy roads opposite Vue Cinema, running towards the white guys. The black got to the same side as the white guys and he stopped for a split second. My friend and I had just been saying 5 minutes before that for all the white guy knew when he punched the black guy, he could have been carrying a knife. Well, in that split second from my window seat directly opposite them, I saw the black guy make a movement. Then I saw a long flash of metal, like a glint in the streetlights. I remember actually gasping out loud and saying "oh my god, he's got a knife". But it wasn't just a knife - the reason I gasped was because it looked like full size carving knife, a machete as my friend later put it. Immediately shouted to my friend in the restaurant, frantically dialled 999 and asked for the police. Was scared that there was about to be a stabbing. Police spoke to me on the phone and I described what was happening before my eyes. Thankfully, someone had shouted to the white guys and they turned around in time to see the tall black guy about to run and lunge at them from behind. Then, the white guy and black guy began to dodge and lunge at each other near the outside of Shepherds Bush tube. Ther bike got thrown to the floor at the traffic lights on Shepherds Bush Green outside the Londis store. Next thing, I saw the black guy running down the Green away from the tube station with the first white guy (whose bike it was) running in hot pursuit behind him. Was talking to the police at the same time and just then, a few police cars screeched to a halt at the bottom of the green and then two ambulances came hurtling down the road too. Couldn't see any further. Last thing I saw was the police, first putting a police cordon up and shutting the street down. Thought somebody had been stabbed. But about 20 minutes or so later, they took down the cordon. After 45 minutes, most of the ambulances and police has sped off. That's everything I saw.
ReplyDeletewow. thanks for sharing that with us, I assume you gave that statement to the police too? Sorry you had such a bad impression of the Bush by the way - it is really not normally like that.
ReplyDeleteInteresting to read the two reports here. I have first hand experience of the big disparities between different witness's understanding of an event.
ReplyDeleteAccording to your first commenter's description, Suspect 1 & 2 were drunk and provoked a fight with Suspect 3. Having fought & chased Suspect 3 away, they stole his bike & bag, and he then came back and chased them with a knife because he was trying to get his property back. He mentioned the drunkenness, but didn't mention race - I'm assuming the descriptions of who did what match those in the police report & the second commenter.
According to the second commenter's description, Suspect 1 & 2 were white victims of an aggressive bike robbery by (potential knife carrying) black Suspect 3, and fought him off. He then came back and actually tried to stab them... as revenge?
The first saw it up close and surrounded by other witnesses, the second saw it from above but alone and with no sound.
You can bet that other witnesses would give varying accounts, and so would the Suspects.
Who to believe in court about provocation, theft, drunkenness?
No probs Chris, that's just a blow by blow account of what I saw. Before I put the phone down while talking to the police, I asked them if they wanted my details etc for a statement. Answered that they just wanted my name, the call had been recorded and they already had my contact telephone number now. So if they need anything, presumably they will get in touch with me. Yes, it's propbably important to bear in mind that this was my first visit to Shepherd's Bush, so I'll try not to let this one incident distort my whole view of what I'm sure is usually quite a cool area!
ReplyDeleteI'd just like to say that the first account is the most accurate.....
ReplyDeleteIncluding the poice being the brave and preventing another loss of life due to knife crime on the streets of London.... but i'm sure yet again they won't get the credit they deserve.
ReplyDelete