Dad shocked as armed officers swoop on home
A DAD says he and his teenage son have been left traumatised after armed police swooped on his home over the weekend.
Plumber Greg Probert had been at home in Aberaman, Aberdare, where his 16-year-old son Josh was asleep upstairs, when several officers with submachine guns and Tasers pulled up outside at around 1pm on Saturday.
They were responding to a phone call which claimed Greg had threatened someone with a rifle while driving through Aberdare town centre earlier that day.
“I’d been watching telly when a neighbour rang me and said, ‘Look out your window, it’s all kicking off in the street,’” said Greg, 40.
“So I went to the front door and saw all these policemen with guns right outside – at which point I’d still not twigged they were there for me.
“Also, when I came out, it’s like they hadn’t been expecting me to suddenly appear, because it took a few seconds before anyone of them did anything.
“But then they started screaming at me to put my phone down and step out on to the street.
“I genuinely thought I was going to be shot – we’ve all seen the news about what’s been happening in places like America recently, so all sorts of things were flashing through my head.”
Greg, whose home security camera captured the moment as it unfolded, was then arrested and placed in handcuffs.
Meanwhile, his son, who’d emerged from his bedroom, was also confronted by armed officers.
“You can see me on camera shouting, ‘Don’t point your bloody guns at my boy – what the hell is going on?’” added Greg, who was taken to Aberdare police station where he was interviewed.
However, subsequent study of the CCTV around Aberdare showed the alleged rifle incident hadn’t happened and he was released without charge after several hours.
But Greg said he now suffers from anxiety as a result.
“Honestly, it’s really shaken me up and my doctor has had to prescribe me medication.
“My son doesn’t like me leaving him alone in the house any more either,” he added.
A spokesperson for South Wales Police said: “On Saturday, July 11, police in Aberdare arrested a man following an allegation that threats had been made with a weapon.
“Armed officers were deployed as a precaution because of the nature of the allegation.
“No further action is being taken against the man who was arrested and he was released from custody shortly afterwards.
“An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the allegation is ongoing.
“It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”