Police Taser ‘knife-wielding man’ in front of commuters on train platform

‘They were trying to get the public away from this man, and then he just pulled out a knife’

A man has been Tasered and detained after threatening commuters and police officers with a large knife at a railway station.

The 30-year-old brandished the weapon at people at Keighley station in Bradford, West Yorkshire during rush hour on Friday.

Footage from the scene shows several police officers chasing the man to the edge of a platform, before using the Taser to subdue him.

Eyewitnesses at the scene said the shock weapon was used after the man threatened officers and refused to drop his weapon, which had a 20cm blade.

A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said officers attempted to use a baton to knock the weapon to the ground, before using the Taser.

Police officers then handcuffed and detained the suspect at around 6pm.

“I heard some police sirens and I thought, it’s Friday evening something will be kicking off in the city centre at the pubs,” said Damon Ralph, who witnessed the incident.

“Then on my side of the platform about 20 officers started walking down as if they were looking for somebody, and then more came running down the other side of the platform.

“They were trying to get the public away from this man, and then he just pulled out a knife and refused to drop it.

“The blade was about 15 to 20 centimetres long, it was hard to judge from where I was.

“They were telling him to drop the knife but he refused, I think they were trying to hit him in the legs to get him on the ground, then used the Taser as a last resort.

“He wasn’t shouting, he seemed emotionless. Trains in both directions arrived shortly after so it makes you think what his intentions were if he got on.”

The 30-year-old remains in custody.

“Police were called to Keighley Railway Station at 5.54pm yesterday (Friday) after a male was reported to have produced a knife and made threats,” a spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said.

“A description was passed to the attending officers who first spoke to the male in an attempt to get him to drop the weapon.

“The male refused to drop the knife and threatened officers, so attempts were made to knock it out of his hand with a baton before a Taser was deployed.

“The 30-year-old suspect was given immediate medical attention and the knife was safely recovered.”

Knife crime has been much debated in recent months after a spike in stabbings in recent months.

There were 285 homicides in England and Wales where the method of killing was by a sharp instrument or knife, from the year between March 2017 to March 2018.

The number is the highest since records began in 1946.

Additional reporting by agencies