'Save me': Police release video of stab victim at 'quarantine rave' to warn about illegal events

Police have released footage of officers helping a stab victim at an illegal rave in a bid to urge people to stay away from further events this weekend.

Three people were stabbed and a 20-year-old man died of a suspected drug overdose as thousands broke coronavirus lockdown restrictions to attend two illegal “quarantine raves” in Manchester last Saturday night.

Sharing a video of a bodycam worn by an officer attending to a victim of a stabbing, Greater Manchester Police urged people to “stop and think” if they are considering attending an illegal rave this weekend.

The footage shows officers helping an unidentified man, who can be heard saying, ‘Please save me’ as he’s given vital emergency medical treatment before paramedics arrive.

It shows officers having to abandon their car and run to find the victim — taking eight minutes to do so, then reassuring him as they administer urgent care until a paramedics arrives, before lifting him into a police van so he can be taken to an ambulance then hospital.

On Friday (June 19) Greater Manchester Police confirmed that he was still in hospital receiving treatment.

GMP said it is aware there are possible further illegal raves being organised in the area for this weekend and warned people that those attending face the prospect of arrest and prosecution.

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The force said there will be a dedicated policing operation in place and a higher police presence in potential hot spot areas.

It said it is liaising with neighbouring forces and working with ‘key partners’ to try to determine where the events would take place.

The force also called on the public and businesses to help with information to they could prevent the event taking place and “ultimately save lives”.

Assistant Chief Constable Nick Bailey said: “Last weekend we saw two large raves take place in Carrington and Oldham, with around 6,000 people in attendance.

“Clearly, this was in breach of the current coronavirus regulations and puts everyone at risk, but also had tragic consequences for some attendees after one young woman was raped, three men stabbed and a teenager sadly lost his life after a suspected drug overdose.

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“A top priority for us will always be the safety of our communities and we will continue to strike the balance of proportionality and wider public safety with our overall response to incidents such as these ones.

“We are sending a strong warning to those thinking about attending such events - you could face enforcement action and receive a criminal record.”

He said a key issue was accessibility for emergency service workers - something that planning for major events takes into account, but becomes an issue in illegal events.

“Having reviewed body worn footage from last weekend’s event, it was clear that the emergency services had difficulty reaching those in need because crowd management and safety measures were not in place,” he added.

“Fortunately, officers were able to administer life-saving treatment to a stabbing victim at the scene, but it is a stark reminder of how important planning is to ensure the safety of all.”

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “What happened last weekend was unacceptable, putting a huge strain on police resources and putting people’s lives at risk.

“I want to minimise the chances of this happening again, which is why I have asked GMP to develop a clear multi-agency action plan with the aim of preventing or disrupting any future raves. Lessons have been learned from these incidents, and I’m pleased GMP will be taking a more robust approach to events like this in the future.

“We can’t say for certain that we can prevent all such events from taking place again. But we can say to Greater Manchester residents that there is no question of us turning a blind eye or adopting a permissive approach.

“These events are illegal at any time, but particularly during a pandemic, and we will redouble our efforts to close them down and protect lives in Greater Manchester.”