Words by Adam Smith
Armed police stormed an Erdington house this afternoon tasering a man who was arrested in connection with the stabbing of a pensioner in Kingstanding.
In a pre-planned operation, dozens of police officers surrounded the house on Hillaries Road as a negotiator tried to convince the man to give himself up peacefully.
The operation had been organised by West Midlands Police after threats had been made against the force by the man – the scale and size of the response was in relation to potential danger to officers and civilians.
Erdington MP Jack Dromey confimed the orchstrated actions of the force later in the day.
He told Erdington Local: “I have been kept closely informed by West Midlands Police about the incident on Hillaries Road in Stockland Green. This was a pre-planned operation that was targeted at a specific individual who was wanted in connection with a serious crime.
“Understandably, the scenes have been disturbing for local residents. I welcome therefore the deployment of a large Police presence to ensure the situation was kept under control and to minimise any potential risk to those living nearby.
“The Police acted swiftly and decisively in apprehending the individual and I would like to thank them for their hard work in keeping the people of Erdington safe.”
During the raid, frightened residents were told to stay inside their homes as the drama played out with Hillaries Road witness describing the events as “terrifying, deeply upsetting and concerning.”
At 3.30pm the police operation concluded with a 49-year-old man being tasered, arrested and taken to hospital.
A West Midlands Police spokesman said: “A man has been arrested following a stand-off at a property in Hillaries Road, Erdington, this afternoon.
“The road was closed as firearms officers secured the scene and a force negotiator encouraged the man to come out peacefully.
“He was arrested at 3.30pm after a Taser was deployed and is being taken to hospital for minor injuries sustained during his arrest.”
The spokeman added: “The 49-year-old has been detained in connection with an attack on a man in Cooksey Lane, Kingstanding.
“The man in his 70s was taken to hospital although thankfully his injuries were not serious.”
The pensioner suffered a “slash wound” on his head during the attack on Sunday afternoon.
An air ambulance landed at nearby St George’s Playing Fields and after the victim was found there remained a large police presence on Cooksey Lane.
A West Midlands Ambulance spokesman said: “We were called to reports of a stabbing in Cooksey Lane on Sunday at 4.45pm.
“An ambulance, paramedic officer and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Cosford with a MERIT trauma doctor and critical care paramedic on board attended the scene.
“Crews treated one man who had sustained serious injuries which required trauma care on the scene. The man was conveyed by land ambulance on blue lights to hospital for further care.”
The previous day, Saturday, a 27-year-old man was stabbed in Witton Lakes Park, off Perry Common Road.
Three men punched and stabbed their victim in what the police described as “a targeted attack.”
The latest two incidents mirror a worrying increase in knife crime across Kingstanding and Erdington after the murder of schoolboy Dea-John Reid on College Road during May Bank Holiday weekend.