Man arrested following incident in Portishead
There is 1 related update to this story
A man has been arrested after armed officers responded to a welfare concern in Portishead yesterday (Wednesday 30 April).
A 48-year-old man is in hospital under police custody after he was arrested on suspicion of being in possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.
At around 3.45pm, we were called to Merlin Park, in Portishead, to check on the welfare of a man.
Armed officers were deployed after a firearm was mentioned to call handlers and negotiators were dispatched to attempt to engage with a man inside a property.
It has now been established that two police firearms were discharged and a man received first aid for a wound to his hand. He was later taken to hospital for further treatment for the injury which is not believed to be life-threatening.
No officers were injured in the incident. All parties involved are being offered or are in receipt of support.
Head of Operations, whose portfolio includes the Firearms Unit, Supt Vicks Hayward-Melen said: “We understand an incident of this nature may be alarming to the local community, but I must stress that matters of this nature are incredibly rare and we do not believe there is any wider risk to the public.
“Our firearms officers receive extensive training and are held to the highest standards through regularly retesting and mandated refresher training. The discharge of a police firearm is considered a last resort and is only actioned in cases where there is a significant threat to officers, themselves or members of the public.
“They do an incredibly difficult job, which not many can do, and I commend those who take on this responsibility voluntarily and have to make these challenging decisions in high-pressure situations in a matter of moments.
“They immediately entered the property, alongside paramedics, and administered first aid to the injured man before he was taken to hospital.”
Officers remain in Merlin Park today (Thursday 1 May) conducting further searches and to provide reassurance.
Supt Hayward-Melen added: “Specialist search teams conducted a search of the property and found additional suspected firearms.
“We would like to thank the community for their patience and understanding while these enquiries continue. Local residents can expect to see an increased high-visibility police presence over the coming days and we urge anyone with any concerns to engage with our officers on patrol.
“As with all cases of this nature, we have made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) as a result of the man being injured following police contact.”