A major operation involving armed police and helicopters stunned onlookers in St Albans city centre yesterday evening (May 11).
Police had been searching for a 25-year-old man in connection with an aggravated burglary in Enfield on May 10.
Metropolitan Police officers from the Enfield Acquisitive Taskforce, Herts Police, and firearms officers carried out what they described as “a tactical stop” of a vehicle being driven by the suspect in St Albans.
He was then taken to Herts police station for questioning.
Eyewitness Greg Moulton, 29, owner of Let Me Properties, was in the office working late when he heard helicopters flying around.
He went to investigate and saw the crowds and commotion, and took a video for the Let Me properties Facebook page - which can be seen above, and contains bad language.
He said it was exciting: “There were lots of rumours at the scene that some police were chasing a car with suspected firearms in it and chasing it for some time, before coming to a stop in the street.
“Another rumour was that it was to do with a suspected shooting in London, but that was probably because there were properly armed police everywhere, and I think people were really suspicious about what happened.”
Greg added that he was surprised something like this would happen in St Albans.
Herts county councillor for St Albans South, Sandy Walkington, was leaving a meeting when he was “startled” to see crowds and took some pictures: “There was no panic, people were just intrigued and stood chatting to the officer with the sub-machine gun - it was a terribly British take on an armed presence.”
Another eyewitness from a nearby business said afterwards: “I saw that there were lots of police and a large group of people.
“I didn’t want to get too involved in it because I wanted to make sure that everyone on our premises was OK - and police assured me it was all dealt with.
“When situations happen like that I don’t think I would want people oogling around me if it were me, whether it’s a tragedy or a police issue.”
No-one was injured and no firearms were found in the vehicle.
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