A man was exercising in a park when he suddenly found himself involved in a intense police operation which mobilized snipers, armored vehicles and a helicopter. The event occurred on March 20 in the city of Salfordlocated in the county of Greater Manchesterin the northwest of England.
The incident occurred around 11:52 a.m. when a neighbor reported a «suspicious» man in Mandley Park, in Higher Broughtonresidential area of an important jewish communityaccording to the media Manchester Evening News.
The suspect in question was wearing a white T-shirt, blue jogging pants and a black padded vest which, seen from a distance, was confused with a explosive device. Additionally, a cable – which would later be discovered to be actually a jump rope – was interpreted as a detonator.
Because the park is located less than a kilometer from the heaton par synagoguewhere in October – during Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar – there was a terrorist attack in which two people died, the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) quickly deployed its forces.
The incident was recorded by area residents and quickly spread on social networks. In the images you can see the man get on your knees with your hands on your headwhile snipers from the roof of an armored vehicle and positioned in trees surround him.
A training vest and a rope: the confusion that led to police intervention
«I was scared when I heard the police yelling. They told me: «Get on the ground.» I didn’t think it was because of me, but there was no one else around me,» the man later told the Manchester Evening News, where he asked to preserve his name for safety.
According to him, he heard one officer shout «shoot him if he moves,» while another repeated «shoot him» several times. «I lay down, did what I was told and saw a helicopter over my head»he added.
The 40-year-old man said he was actually wearing a weighted vesta training press designed to add extra weight to the torso using metal plates or sandbags.
«I have type two diabetes and a heart problem. The doctor told me to exercise because I was overweight. So I train. I go to the gym, I go to the park just to exercise. I wear that vest everywhere when I exercise. «I’m not the only one, I see a lot of people wearing that vest,» he said.
When he was arrested, the police asked him to remove his vest and then be handcuffed and taken to the police station, where He was detained «a couple of hours»as he said. They later released him and, through a statement, the authorities confirmed that it was a false alarm.
«I told the police: ‘Prevention is better than cure.’ I don’t blame the police, they were very good to me. I was kind to them too; we work together. That’s why we pay our taxes, to keep ourselves safe,» he said.
For their part, members of the Jewish community thanked the police for their quick action. «This incident highlights the level of unrest that the Jewish community around the world is currently experiencing»said a spokesperson for the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester.
«One more time, We appreciate the exemplary response of the police and the professionalism of the Community Security Trust. «We are fortunate to be able to count on these two extraordinary organizations to ensure our safety,» he added.
