Police footage captured how a 16-year-old boy dressed in tactical gear with a fake firearm was tackled to the ground by police, after his Resident Evil comic con costume sparked fears of a mass shooting.
Concerned members of the public called 999 at around 2.30pm last Saturday as the teenager was seen walking amid a crowd of football fans.
Thousands were leaving nearby Stamford Bridge where a Premier League match between Chelsea and Fulham had just finished at the time of the incident, which occurred near to Fulham Broadway.
The teenager, dressed all in black in military-style tactical clothing, a helmet and facemask, and what appeared to be a gun in a holster on his hip, was intercepted by officers from the Met Police. It is thought he was on his way to a comic convention in Hammersmith.
Also wearing a large backpack on his shoulders, the boy was swiftly apprehended by several officers who pushed him to the ground and secured the firearm, which later turned out to be an imitation weapon.
Details on the boy’s clothes suggest he had dressed up as a character from Umbrella Corps, a spin-off of the Resident Evil gaming franchise.
In a statement, the Met said that armed officers were dispatched to the scene but due to the risks of confronting the teenager in such a busy area, unarmed officers already deployed to the area made the stop instead.
In video footage released by police, a caller can be heard telling 999 dispatchers of his concerns.
Police footage captured how a 16-year-old boy dressed in tactical gear with a fake firearm was tackled to the ground by police, after his Resident Evil comic con costume sparked fears of a mass shooting
Footage from the Met Police showed how details on the boy’s costume suggested he was dressed as a member of the Umbrella Corps from gaming franchise Resident Evil
The teenager was spotted by passersby walking down a busy street in Fulham, London, just after the conclusion of a Premier League football match at Stamford Bridge
He told the control room: ‘I’m sure it’s nothing, but there’s a guy walking out the front of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in full tactical gear and a gun on his hip and he’s absolutely not a police officer.
‘He’s got a gun in a holster on his hip, and he’s in full tactical gear with a face mask on.’
Bodycam footage then shows the brave officers tackling the teenager from behind and shouting: ‘Get on the floor!’
At least four officers are seen securing the suspect, before one male officer tells his colleagues: ‘Get the firearm safe’.
Another uses his radio and tells the control room: ‘Met Control – we’ve had to intervene due to crowd risk. Male is detained.’
One of the officers then removes the fake gun from the holster. Police also found an imitation rifle in his rucksack.
Eyewitnesses saw the teenager being handcuffed by officers and reported the incident unfolded near to a busy tube station.
Enquiries by police found that while the fake weapons when bought had been brightly coloured, they were later spray painted black to appear more realistic.
Met Officers removed the imitation fire arm from the teenager’s hip after tackling him to the ground
CCTV footage showed the moment at least four officers confronted the suspect
The boy was arrested on suspicion of possession of an imitation firearm
Police said that when purchased, the fake firearm had been painted in bright colours but was then repainted to appear more realistic
Officers removed what looked to be a balaclava from the boy’s face and held him down, kneeling on his legs and back
Other officers searched the suspect’s bag and maintained a cordon around the area as astonished Chelsea fans passed by
The 16-year-old was arrested on suspicion of being in possession of imitation firearms and was taken into custody. He later explained in interview that he had been attending a nearby comic convention that weekend and was in costume.
Inspector Rob McDonald, Match Commander for the fixture between Chelsea and Fulham, said: ‘This was a highly unusual and extremely concerning incident which occurred at the worst possible time.
‘The match had not long finished and 40,000 spectators were leaving the stadium when information was received about a person dressed in black tactical clothing, wearing a ballistic helmet and carrying firearms heading towards a major transport hub.
‘The unarmed officers who spotted the suspect acted spontaneously and with incredible bravery. They tackled him to the ground to secure the firearms without thought for their own personal safety, only that of tens of thousands of football fans in the immediate area.
‘This incident highlights the bravery and selflessness of our police officers who come to work every day to keep the public safe.’
Commander Adam Slonecki, who was the in charge of policing across London on the day of the incident, said: ‘These officers demonstrated quick thinking and truly impressive bravery in the way they responded to this incident.
‘While they believed the suspect was potentially armed with multiple weapons, they were all unarmed. They put the safety of the public above any concerns for their own and in doing so did themselves and the Met proud.
‘I hope this incident also serves as a reminder to those who may be engaged in ‘cosplay’ or in any other activity that involves dressing up as characters where weapons or armour are involved.
‘Such activity should ideally take place in organised environments where it is obvious to everyone what is going on.
‘Wandering around in public, particularly in crowded places, while carrying these items is irresponsible. While those taking part may know their weapons aren’t real, the public do not and nor do our officers.’
The teenager who was arrested admitted possession of imitation firearms in interview and has since been referred to the Youth Offending Team for consideration of an appropriate out of court disposal.
