Petrol attack on police
Man, 51, arrested after terrifying fire ordeal
A MAN threw petrol over a group of police officers and set fire to a building in a shocking attempt to avoid arrest.
Police were sent to Market Street, in Farnworth, Bolton, at 11pm on Friday to arrest a man over recent domestic violence offences.
But when they arrived at the house he threw a liquid over the officers, which is thought to have been petrol, before dousing himself in the same liquid and threatening to set himself on fire.
A video released by GMP shows the man continuing to resist and seemingly setting fire to the door of the home before barricading himself inside.
The officers with riot shields were eventually able to force their way and grab hold of the 51-year-old man to drag him out of the building.
He was arrested on suspicion of malicious communications, breach of a restraining order, arson with intent to endanger life and assault on an emergency services worker.
He was taken to hospital where he was assessed for smoke inhalation and minor injuries, however he has since been discharged and remains in custody.
One officer was also taken to hospital and was treated by an eye specialist for suspected chemical burns.
He has since been discharged but requires further assessment later this week.
GMP Assistant Chief Constable
Rob Potts has praised the ‘bravery’ of the officers involved in the arrest on Friday night.
“This was a challenging situation which highlights the dangerous conditions our officers are often faced with when carrying out their duties to protect our community and those who are in need of our help,” he said.
“Every single day our officers are willing and prepared to do everything within their powers, including putting themselves in harm’s way, in order to protect our most vulnerable victims, including those of domestic violence.
“I would like to commend the bravery of our officers and partners in this situation who managed to safely detain the suspect despite the challenges that were thrown in their direction.
“One of our officers was taken to hospital with chemical burn injuries, and we are lucky that those injuries were not even more severe.
“I only hope this footage that we are sharing today can give an insight to the public of the resilience and commitment of our officers to go the extra mile to protect vulnerable members of our communities.”