Man Fleeing Police Arrested As He Dropped ‘Gun’

A man dropped what appeared to be a weapon while running from police, blocking off a road.

Bigham Road, a street just off Sheil Road in Fairfield, was cordoned off tonight as police tried to determine if the “gun” the man dropped was real. They have since confirmed it was an imitation firearm.

The police arrested a 24-year-old man on suspicion of possession of an imitation firearm and possession of cannabis.

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When the ECHO arrived at the scene at 6.45pm, the fake firearm was still lying in the street behind the cordon. Neighbors described seeing a large police presence on the street around 6 p.m. A forensics team arrived around 8pm to carry out their analysis.

A neighbor told the ECHO she was sad but “not surprised” to hear about the incident, adding: “I’ve lived here for years so I’ve seen it all.”

Detective Inspector Darren Taylor of Merseyside Police said: “We are in the early stages of this investigation and are establishing what led up to this incident.

“To the untrained eye, imitation firearms can look like real firearms and are capable of causing a huge amount of fear and harm, so the fact that another weapon has now been removed is welcome.

“Officers on the ground acted quickly and decisively to arrest a suspect and the fake gun will now be forensically examined to see who tampered with it.

“Where community information and our own inquiries tell us that firearms of any type are being stored, we will execute warrants, carry out stop checks and search homes, industrial premises and open land across Merseyside.

“We are determined to disrupt and bring to justice organized crime groups who possess both live and imitation firearms and whose reckless disregard for those around them can bring violence and fear to the heart of our communities.”

If you have any information about this incident please DM @MerPolCC ref 24000438977 or call @CrimestoppersUK on 0800 555 111.

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