Residents ‘shocked’ by armed police flocking to Harold Wood street after police arrest wrong man
Armed police flocked to Greenway, Harold Hill, on Tuesday, May 14, after reports of a wanted man staying in the area. Shortly after he was arrested, the man was released as it was discovered he was not the man wanted. - Credit: Harold Wood resident
Armed police swarmed a quiet residential street to arrest a man believed to be wanted by police in Glasgow in connection with a fatal shooting but later realised it was the wrong man.
Armed police flocked to Greenway, Harold Hill, on Tuesday, May 14, after reports of a wanted man staying in the area. Shortly after he was arrested, the man was released as it was discovered he was not the man wanted. - Credit: Harold Wood resident
Officers were called to a house in Greenway, Harold Wood, at around 10am, on Tuesday, May 14, following information received about a wanted man in the area.
Police flocked to the scene, armed with guns and accompanied by police dogs as they surrounded the house and cordoned off the road.
The suspected man was subsequently arrested after being confirmed as wanted and was taken to an east London police station for questioning.
However, following further enquiries, the man arrested was found to be another man not wanted by police and released.
A neighbour, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: "I was shocked.
"My daughter's boyfriend went to get in his car in the morning when a police officer shouted at him 'you've got to move away, you're in the line of fire.'
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"While it was going on, we couldn't leave our homes so just had to wait until it was over.
"It was really surreal, it's not something that you would expect."
The man was thought to be someone wanted by police in Glasgow in connection with the shooting of 22-year-old Jamie Lee who was killed in a children's play area of a park in Ballantay Terrace, Castlemilk, Glasgow, on July 8, 2017.
Yasmina Aomari, 20, said: "We were confused, me and boyfriend were peering out the window to see what was going on and saw police with guns up and down the road.
"We didn't have a clue what was happening."
A 67-year-old neighbour, who also wishes to remain anonymous, added: "They [police] were everywhere, it was like an action film.
"They blocked off the road and were behind the house, so you was surrounded by all these officers with guns.
"This is a really quiet street usually, nothing ever goes on here.
"It was scary but you know they're doing it for our protection."
