Watch the shocking moment armed police confront man with knife in Asda
11 January 2021, 18:31 | Updated: 11 January 2021, 19:03
Armed police officers confront a knife wielding man in Asda
Police have released 'dramatic' footage of the moment armed police challenged a man who had threatened people with a knife at a supermarket.
Officers were called on November 19 last year when terrified members of the public reported they had been threatened by a man with a knife.
The Northamptonshire force sent armed police to the Asda store in the rural town of Raunds.
Bodyworn video shows armed officers arrive at the supermarket and confront 22-year-old Mantas Auryla.
After his arrest, Auryla was charged with two counts of having a blade/article which was sharply pointed in a public place and affray.
When the case arrived at court Auryla was jailed for 18 months
The detective in charge of the case DC Katy Tyrrell, said: “This was a terrifying experience for the staff and customers at Asda as it was unclear what motives Auryla had.
“I would like to pay tribute to the staff at Asda in particular for the way they ensured their customers were evacuated and kept safe throughout the incident.
“This was a great response by my uniformed colleagues and those in the Force Control Room.
“I’m really pleased it has concluded with Auryla sentenced to eighteen months in prison – showing the gravity and seriousness of his offence.”
The Chief Constable Nick Adderley, said: “As this video footage shows, this was a very dramatic incident and is an excellent example of the bravery our police officers show every day when they walk towards danger, into unknown situations, to protect the public.
“An incident of this nature is exceptionally rare, however I hope the level of response we provided at the time, including our ability to quickly deploy specially trained firearms officers, reassures the community that we are always ready and equipped to react to a variety of scenarios in order to keep them safe.
“We have the bravest police officers in the world in this country and I am proud to lead a Force that consistently demonstrates courage, dedication and commitment of the highest level.
“Finally, I want to take this opportunity to commend DC Katy Tyrrell for a thorough investigation which gave Auryla no choice but to plead guilty to the offences at court.”
