Man told officer ‘I will shoot you’

A DUNDEE man threatened to shoot police after being caught with a knife in a city multi.

Michael Etchells, 32, claimed he armed himself after a group of people had made threats against him in Elders Court.

Etchells, who has previous convictions for knife crime, made several threats to police after being arrested. His abusive behaviour continued at Ninewells Hospital.

In 2022, Etchells was convicted of leaving his mother scarred for life after biting her on the nose after a drunken Boxing Day argument.

A sheriff will now consider imposing an order that aims to give the public greater protection from the offender.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard how police received a call saying Etchells was in possession of a knife on one of the landings at the multi.

They arrived, took hold of him and applied handcuffs.

Etchells said: “They came to my door. I don’t f ****** have it any more.”

Despite his claim, the knife was discovered in Etchells’ trousers but was he unco-operative when being placed in a police van on Kirk Street.

Fiscal depute Joanne Ritchie said: “Officers tried to place the accused in the rear of the vehicle but he began to resist, trying to push past and prevent the cell door being closed.

“He stated ‘I will shoot you’ towards one of the officers and continued to be verbally abusive.”

Etchells shouted: “Take these handcuffs off, then we’ll see how hard you are.

“You’ll need an ambulance, that’s not a threat it’s a f ****** promise.”

He was seen placing tablets in his mouth and was taken to Ninewells by officers. However, he tried to kick one of the officers on the body as they tried to remove him.

Etchells, currently a prisoner of HMP Perth, pled guilty to possessing a knife and two charges of abusive behaviour on July 4 2023.

Solicitor Kevin Hampton said: “He tells me in the weeks leading up to this incident, he had been assaulted twice and was very wary of further assaults on him.

“He said there had been individuals at his door making threats.

“They had left before the police arrived but he shouldn’t have taken that knife out and he understands the potential for harm was great.

“He had consumed both alcohol and diazepam that day and that no doubt skewed his decision making.”

Mr Hampton said it was Etchells’ position that he was reaping the benefits of a supervised release order that had been imposed following his previous prison sentence.

Sheriff Alastair Carmichael deferred sentence until next month for a report to assess whether or not to impose another similar order.

Michael Etchells.