Moment three brave unarmed police officers take down a GUNMAN
Moment three brave unarmed police officers take down a GUNMAN as children returning home from school played on streets nearby
- PCs Jack Grainger, Jessica Hamblett and Richard Hayes can be seen tackling gunman Mohammed Shabaz Rafiq in north Manchester in the dash cam footage
- The cops were unarmed and advised to wait before hearing a gunshot
- They jumped into action and chased down the man and three others in a car
- The trio have earned national bravery awards for their efforts in March last year
This footage captures the shocking moment Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officers defied orders and took down a gunman in north Manchester.
PCs Jack Grainger, Jessica Hamblett and Richard Hayes can be seen tackling gunman Mohammed Shabaz Rafiq on the streets of Harpurhey despite hearing a gunshot being fired moments beforehand on the dramatic dash-cam footage.
The cops, who were unarmed, were advised to wait for back up but took action as the streets began to fill up with children on their way home from school on March 24 last year.
The gunman is now behind bars and the trio have earned national bravery awards for their heroism.
Mohammed Shabaz Rafiq, 24, whose prints were found in the bag, was jailed for five years in July last year for possessing an illegal firearm
PCs Jessica Hamblett, 29, from Ramsbottom, Richard Hayes, 42, from Flixton and Jack Grainger accepted their awards at the 2022 Police Bravery Awards last week
PCs Jessica Hamblett, 29, from Ramsbottom, Richard Hayes, 42, from Flixton and Jack Grainger accepted their awards at the 2022 Police Bravery Awards last week.
The trio were in their tenth hour of a fairly routine shift when they spotted some men in a phone box known to be used by drug dealers.
‘We were looking at them and then we heard a bang,’ PC Hamblett said. ‘I turned to my colleague and said: ‘That’s a gunshot’.
‘As I said that, a guy came running with a black bin bag, clutching it to his stomach. We pulled up alongside him. He’s realised we’re coppers and started running.’
He ran towards a black Ford Focus with three other men inside near Ashgill Walk but the door was locked. In his desperation, he ripped the handle off. He was seen throwing the bin bag through the open window of the car as it tried to speed away.
While PC Grainger chased the man who had thrown the bag, PC Hayes used his baton to smash the closed windows of the car as it mounted a kerb in an attempt to escape and manoeuvre around parked cars.
PC Hamblett admitted the scene was ‘like a comedy sketch’ before she and PC Hayes drew their Taser stun guns and ‘red dotted’ the men in the car, who continued their slow-motion getaway.
The officers radioed for backup, admitting they had overridden instructions to wait.
‘We couldn’t wait for armed resources to arrive,’ PC Hamblett said. ‘There were kids in the street. You have to react to that. That’s what you sign up for when you join the police.
The dramatic footage captured the moment the men were captured by the brave cops
PC Hamblett admitted the scene was ‘like a comedy sketch’ before she and PC Hayes drew their Taser stun guns and ‘red dotted’ the men in the car, who continued their getaway
The trio admitted that they went into the situation without backup and against orders but have said they would do it again to ensure people nearby were safe
The incident, which happened on the streets of Harpurhey in March last year, was captured in dash cam and body cam footage
A gun was discovered in a black bin liner underneath the car, not on the man who had fled. The weapon was a converted blank-firing Retay handgun, with a cartridge still in the chamber
‘Honestly, I would do exactly the same again. He was that close to us. We were already in too deep. It’s ‘do you engage with it?’ or let someone with a live firearm go towards school children. Some officers have said we were absolutely mad and that they wouldn’t have done it. But I think anybody in our position would do the same thing.’
PC Hayes added: ‘I knew straight away it was a handgun. I have firearms experience. We’ve got kids. We don’t have time to worry about it afterwards.’
A gun was discovered in a black bin liner underneath the car, not on the man who had fled. The weapon was a converted blank-firing Retay handgun, with a cartridge still in the chamber.
Mohammed Shabaz Rafiq, 24, whose prints were found in the bag, was jailed for five years in July last year for possessing an illegal firearm.
Lee Broadbent, the chairman of the Greater Manchester branch of the Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, said: ‘What a tremendous trio of colleagues. We are very proud of their work.
‘The actions of Jack, Jessica and Richard in pursuing a male who was armed with a firearm, which they believed had just been discharged, was exceptionally brave.
‘The officers acted fast to detain this man and prevent any harm to members of the public, at significant risk to their own wellbeing.
‘Not only was the suspect apprehended, but their excellent commentary during the pursuit directed other officers to support, and the subsequent scene management ensured the recovery of the weapon and other important evidence.
‘The actions of these officers has brought a very high-risk individual into custody, which will have had a significant impact on protecting and reassuring the local community.’
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