Rotherham public take law into own hands after man seen with knife
Residents in Rotherham have decided to “take the law into their own hands” following numerous reports of knife crime in the town.
On Tuesday, June 13, officers from South Yorkshire Police[1] reported that they received three reports of a man being seen with a knife, but were unable to locate anyone. Later that day, in Wath, officers arrived at the scene of a woman with injuries, reported to be stab wounds. Upon arrival they found her injuries were due to a pre-existing medical condition.
A 33-year-old man has now been arrested on suspicion of affray after reports of a man threatening people with a knife on Wath Road in Wath. After members of the public heard about the incident on social media, they decided to try and tackle the incident themselves, and left one man in hospital with suspected broken legs.
Police are asking members of the public “to avoid further speculation and not take matters into their own hands”. A spokesperson for SYP said: “Officers are continuing to investigate this and other reports received yesterday afternoon (Wednesday 14 June) that someone was seen with a knife in the area. However, we are not seeking anyone else in relation to these matters.”
Rotherham Superintendent Andy Wright said: “Throughout today we have responded to three reports about a man being seen with a knife in Wath, Rotherham. Numerous resources responded to each report and a drone was deployed across the area, but were unable to locate anyone nearby.
“Ambulance crews then responded to a woman on Denman Road at 5.45pm after receiving reports she’d been stabbed. The crew confirmed her injuries were due to a pre-existing medical condition and she had not suffered any stab wounds. There appears to be no connection between this incident and the earlier reports.”
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Wright added: “Following rumours on social media, members of the community appear to have taken to the law in to their own hands which has led to significant disorder at an address on Wath Road. As a result, one man is now in hospital with suspected broken legs.
“I would like to reassure the community that a high number of officers, including specialist resources, remain in the area. Whilst I appreciate hearing things like this are incredibly concerning, I want to remind everyone to avoid further speculation and not take matters in to their own hands, while allowing us to carry out our enquiries.”
“I understand the high level of concern among the community and an increased number of officers will remain in the area today to offer reassurance. We are working closely with schools to ensure parents and children feel safe. Following a report that a woman had been stabbed yesterday evening, we have now spoken to the complainant and numerous lines of enquiry have led us to the conclusion that no such incident occurred.”
References
- ^ South Yorkshire Police (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ M62 Junction 25 traffic live as lorry crash shuts two lanes near Huddersfield (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ Get all the latest local news from South Yorkshire straight to your inbox with our free newsletter (data.reachplc.com)