Rooftop stand-off causes carnage in a quiet city street
TEENAGER LAUNCHED TILES BEFORE BEING HANDCUFFED AFTER EIGHT HOURS
A TENSE rooftop stand-off that saw officers pelted with tiles and Sutton Park residents evacuated under riot shields has finally ended after more than eight hours.
The incident began as a low-key affair at around 9.15am yesterday with a handful of police officers at the scene trying to coax the teenage assailant down from the property in Thorndale, close to Bude Park.
However, as the day went on, he showed no signs of budging.
By lunchtime, the teen had begun dismantling the roof and throwing debris on to the street below as riot police, paramedics and firefighters all rushed to the scene to assist.
Cars were damaged and residents living nearby had to be evacuated under police riot shields for fear that they may be harmed by flying roof tiles.
As the afternoon went on, police officers gained access to the loft of the property and began engaging with him through a hole in the roof - however, he began to fight them off with a pole and attempted to pull the ladders away.
As the coldness of the November afternoon set in, the teen was pictured burning his gloves before laying down on the top ridge of the roof.
Officers told people to stay away from the scene to help assist in bringing the incident to “a swift and safe conclusion”.
But the conclusion to the incident was far from swift, with the teen holding firm on the roof for eight and a half hours before he was led away in handcuffs at about 5.40pm to be checked over in a waiting ambulance.
Residents soon returned to their properties to inspect the damage to their homes.
An eyewitness described the man as “dirty” with a “very white, drained” face as he was escorted away.