WATCH: Armed officers arrest weapon wielding man in Cathedral Square
Video footage shows the moment Tai Mitchell was spotted carrying the weapon in the city centre
A man who was caught on CCTV brandishing a weapon and chasing after a group of teenagers in Peterborough city centre will spend Christmas behind bars.
Video footage of the moment Tai Mitchell was seen carrying the weapon – which people in the square at the time said they believed to be a machete – and the moment he was caught by officers – has now been released by Cambridgeshire Police, after the 22-year-old was locked up at court.
While a machete was never recovered, a large metal pole was found hidden near-by.
A Cambridgeshire Police spokesperson said that at about 7.20pm on Tuesday (10 December), police received a 999 call reporting a group of people in Cathedral Square chasing some teenagers with what was believed to be a machete.
Mitchell was part of a group detained by firearms officers but not found to be in possession of any weapons.
However, an immediate review of CCTV footage confirmed the clothing he was wearing matched that of the person seen to be wielding a weapon, resulting in his arrest.
The footage showed Mitchell and four others heading along Bridge Street towards Rivergate, before they were located by police.
A search of the area around Viersen Platz and Rivergate found a metal pole, about 60cm long, hidden down the side of a metal frame.
Mitchell, of no fixed address, appeared at Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (12 December) where he admitted being in possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and affray, and was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison.
Inspector Sam Tucker, from Peterborough’s Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “This was a concerning incident for members of the public who believed Mitchell was in possession of a knife.
“We will not tolerate violence and weapons of any kind in our city centre. Despite Mitchell not being found in possession of the weapon at the time of his arrest, thanks to a quick response to the original call and working with CCTV operators, we were able to track his movements and find the weapon.”