Police defend arrest of baseball bat-wielding man in busy Manchester street
A video of the incident has gone viral on social media
A man carrying a baseball bat who was tackled and arrested by cops in Manchester City centre has been released with "no further action" - as the force defended their actions.
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Viral social media footage shows the moment that a man carrying a baseball bat still wrapped in its covering was approached by a police officer and tackled to the ground.
The incident, on Market Street in central Manchester last Sunday (9 August), was watched by a large crowd of onlookers.
Several more officers can be seen arriving on motorbikes and the man is put in handcuffs and escorted into the back of a police van.
The incident drew a furious backlash on social media, with critics accusing the force of arresting the man despite "only just buying the bat from the shop".
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Young man buys a baseball bat (still in the plastic).
— Genius Tech (@Geniustechw) August 10, 2026
Police stop him the second he leaves the store.
Is this normal now? 😮 pic.twitter.com/sbr4113aKr
The video was subsequently shared by far-right activist Tommy Robinson - whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon - on X, who criticised the police response.
However in a statement, Manchester Police said that the bat had been purchased the week before.
The man was arrested and detained after he refused to engage with the police officer, the statement continued.
"One of our city centre officers approached a man who had a baseball bat on Market Street on Sunday 9 August', the statement said.
"The officer tried to engage with a man in his 30s who refused and he was eventually detained and arrested.
"He has since been released with no further action.
"Enquiries found the bat was bought the previous week, but no intent could be proven and therefore no crime was committed. Our Professional Standards Directorate has reviewed the footage, and no misconduct has been identified.
Under UK law, it is illegal to carry an offensive weapon in a public place.
The Sentencing Council describes an offensive weapon as "anything made or adapted to cause injury, or intended to be used as a weapon".
A baseball bat can be classified as an offensive weapon if the person carrying the item intends to use it to cause injury.