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An innocent father tells the terrifying moments when police snipers forced him to his knees after mistaking his training vest for an explosive belt
Police snipers forced an innocent father to his knees with his hands over his head after mistaking his weighted vest for a bomb belt.
The man, in his 40s, was seen lying on the ground near an open-air gym in Salford, Manchester, with his hands on his head and wearing a black vest. The area is home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the country.
Police received reports of a "suspicious person" in Mandley Park at around 11:52am on March 20 and rushed to the scene, fearing it could be a suicide bomber.
Some people thought he was carrying what appeared to be cables or “wires.” Footage shared on social media showed snipers, a helicopter flying over the area, and several police vans.
Videos posted on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, show the man in a black vest lying on the grass, surrounded by armed police officers.
Thankfully, Greater Manchester Police declared the case a “false alarm,” explaining that the man was wearing a “weight training vest” and holding a jump rope while exercising.
There is an open gym in Mandley Park. The man, who spoke to the Manchester Evening News on condition of anonymity, told the newspaper: “I told the police ‘better safe than sorry’.”
He added: “I was scared when I heard the police shouting. They said 'lie down'. I didn't think it was for me, but there were no other people around.
"One said 'shoot him if he moves', or something like that. His colleague was telling the other one 'shoot' several times. I lay down and did everything I was told, while I saw a helicopter overhead."
The father, who moved to the UK 25 years ago from Albania, said he usually used a jump rope and a weight vest during his workouts. He added that he wore the weight vest “everywhere” after his doctor recommended physical activity.
The man suffers from type 2 diabetes and heart problems, so his family doctor had advised him to lose weight and exercise. He said he worked out at a nearby gym and at the park to get some exercise. He said he tried to remain calm and cooperated with officers.
The police asked him to put the phone on the ground, lie down, and take off his vest. They then handcuffed him and escorted him to the police station. The man was held there for several hours and then released.
He also said he understood why concerns were raised in the heart of Salford's Jewish community, which is located about a mile from last October's attack on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall.
The man stressed that he does not blame the police, who he said were "very kind" to him.
He added, "It happened because it's a Jewish area, I think people were scared, but I go there all the time. I go to the Jewish stores, I go there for my kids, they have good food. I walk for about an hour, an hour and a half, something like that."
Police confirmed that they will not be taking any further action against him, adding that "it was a false alarm and there is no threat to the wider community."
A spokesman for the Greater Manchester Jewish Representative Council said: "Thankfully, this has been clarified as a false alarm and there is no threat to our community.
This incident shows the level of anxiety that Jews around the world are currently experiencing.
We are once again grateful for GMP's exemplary response and the professionalism of Community Security Trust.
We are lucky that we can rely on these two organisations to keep us safe.” /Adapted from The Sun /
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