Tram passenger involved in fatal struggle released without charge
Nottinghamshire Police said a ‘meticulous’ inquiry including a study of CCTV footage showed the man acted in self-defence after being attacked.
A tram passenger arrested after the death of a man who attacked him with a knife will not face criminal charges.
Nottinghamshire Police said officers had concluded that the man, who was arrested on suspicion of murder in Nottingham in June last year, was acting in self-defence when he was attacked with a knife.
In a statement confirming that the man, who is aged in his 20s, has been released without charge, officers said CCTV footage of the incident had been taken into account.
Following a meticulous investigation, and after seeking early investigative advice from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), we have concluded that a tram passenger acted in self-defence when he was attacked by a man with a knife
The force said 32-year-old Kyle Knowles was pronounced dead at the scene, having been injured after boarding a tram armed with a knife in Bulwell at 11.04am on Monday June 26.
Knowles approached the passenger, who was not named in the statement, and began an unprovoked attack, police said.
It is known that the passenger sustained serious stab wounds to his hands as he attempted to defend himself, and during the struggle, Knowles was stabbed.
The tram then came to a halt at Highbury Vale tram stop, where the passenger was arrested.
Due to the passenger’s suspected involvement in the incident, the Probation Service recalled him to prison because he was in breach of his licence for an offence committed in 2016.
City Superintendent Chris Pearson said: “Our thoughts remain with the family, and everyone affected by this tragic and deeply distressing incident, which resulted in the loss of a young man’s life.
“Following a meticulous investigation, and after seeking early investigative advice from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), we have concluded that a tram passenger acted in self-defence when he was attacked by a man with a knife.
“Keeping people safe in our city and communities is our priority and we will continue to do all that we can to target the minority of people who carry or use knives.
“We have dedicated teams that work alongside our uniformed officers every day to tackle knife crime and we proactively work with our partners to deter young people away from this lifestyle.”