Praise after armed police swoop to arrest man armed with sword in Peterborough street

Officers were called to Oakdale Avenue in Stanground at 9.40pm on Saturday, July 9 to reports of a man in the street with a weapon.

A 29-year-old man was arrested and subsequently charged with possessing a weapon in a public place and criminal damage. He has also been charged with producing cannabis after police were led to a property in Oakdale Avenue following his arrest.

An eyewitness who was out with his grandson walking the dog when the incident occurred praised police for their response.

He said: “A lone police officer arrived on scene first and confronted the man.

“He put himself between the man and a group of youths who were in the street and I think that should be commended. It was a totally selfless act.

“Then other armed officers arrived to deal with the situation.

“Police get bad press across the world but I have never seen anything like it, the first officer on the scene was not armed and was totally selfless putting himself in harms way to protect the public.”

The 29-year-old will appear in Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on July 29 and has been released on conditional police bail until that date.