Police Taser knife-wielding one-armed roller skater moments after he stabbed three
28 August 2020, 11:13 | Updated: 28 August 2020, 11:40
Watch the moment police officers Taser a knife-wielding one-armed roller skater moments after he stabbed three victims
This is the dramatic moment police officers stopped Benjamin Bridgeman, 38, who is on trial accused of attempted murder following the attacks in Knowle, Bristol, earlier this year.
A jury at Bristol Crown Court heard he stabbed a man in the back before continuing on and slashing another in the head on February 25.
Footage released by police today shows the moment Bridgeman, who was born with one arm, was detained by officers using a Taser.
Bridgeman is now facing eight charges - including three counts of attempted murder which he denies.
He is also accused of three counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, attempted wounding with intent and having an offensive weapon.
A 26-year-old man and a 50-year-old man sustained stab wounds while another 26-year-old man sustained a head injury after they were attacked on Wells Road at around 3.10pm.
The court heard Bridgeman stopped using cannabis a week before the incident, telling the psychiatrist the day before he thought he "was going to be taken away to be sacrificed".
He also believed "the world was split into good people and bad people in battle with each other".
The court is trying to establish his state of mind and a verdict of 'not guilty by reason of insanity' is available.
Richard Posner, prosecuting, has told the court the defendant was employed and of good character at the time of the incident but had suffered a psychotic breakdown.
He added the jury will have to decide if he 'was insane when he did what he did' - as experts have agreed he was suffering from a 'disease of the mind'.
The court has heard that a special verdict of 'not guilty by reason of insanity' is available.
The trial continues.
