Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Man with knife drives at crowd
Armed police swooped on a city housing estate after a man waving a knife drove at a crowd of people.
Officers with guns and as many as 15 patrol cars were mobilised after terrified neighbours on the former Howe Barracks site called 999 on Monday evening.
One onlooker told how the man drove up and down the street holding the knife out of the window before speeding at a man he is believed to have had an altercation with.
A crowd gathered in the street – including children – had to take cover as the Honda Civic hurtled towards them.
One woman was at her sister’s house when she saw two men arguing.
“I saw a man drive at high speed, stop his car and step out,” she said. “He told the other guy he was going to stab him with a kitchen knife. The other guy pushed the man back into his car and he screeched off again.
“But he then spun the car round and drove rapidly back up the road trying to run this man and all that was around him down. There were children everywhere. I grabbed one girl and told her to run home. The kids were terrified.”
No one was hit by the car or hurt in the incident, which sparked a huge police manhunt involving the force’s helicopter.
Armed officers were later seen in St Stephen’s Hill, Canterbury.
A police spokesman said they were called to an “altercation” in Pilckem Close, off St Julien Avenue, and later arrested two men from Canterbury.
One, aged 33, was released without charge and the other, aged 34, has been bailed until July 17.
Witnesses can call the appeal line on 01843 222289, quoting reference 19-1232, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.