Cribbs Causeway 'shooting' video was just training say police
A man brandishing a machete at Cribbs Causeway, close to Bristol, was shot twice by police in dramatic scenes on Monday afternoon (September 30) - however, it was merely a training exercise. Avon and Somerset police have offered reassurances to the public following the widespread sharing of a video depicting the scene at a bus stop at The Mall, primarily via WhatsApp.
The video, captured from across the car park, displayed a man in a balaclava menacing individuals at the bus stop with what seemed to be a large knife. One woman retreats as bystanders disperse and observed, as BristolLive reports.
Then two cars pull up and the man is floored by two shots from plain clothes police officers emerging from the vehicles. The video - and even videos of the recording on other people’s phones - were being widely shared in Bristol on Monday evening, and the Bristol Live team was inundated with inquiries about what had happened.
READ MORE:Teenage girls charged after 'throwing rocks at staff'
READ MORE:'Zombie-style' knife seized after police raid home in Bath city centre
But there were already clues that this was thankfully not the shocking scene it first appeared to be. One video showed observers with high-vis tabards were watching the scene unfold carefully, while many of the people in the area around the scene did not look particularly scared or panicked and no one ran away, as one might expect.
A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset police confirmed the incident was a training exercise. He said signs were put in place around the area to reassure the public at the time, and none of those involved were members of the public.
It is unclear whether the person filming the video from across the car park was aware it was a training exercise.