Semi-naked man brandishes huge SWORD outside Poundland in south London
Dramatic moment brave bystanders disarm semi-naked man brandishing huge SWORD outside Poundland before he is arrested by police
- Man in just his boxers seen swinging large sword in Walworth area, south London
- Threatened passersby outside a Poundland when they tried to take it off him
- Witnesses say man was disarmed before Met Police arrived minutes later and arrested him
By William Cole For Mailonline
Published: 05:51 EDT, 31 August 2020 | Updated: 08:16 EDT, 31 August 2020
A half-naked man has been arrested after threatening shoppers with a sword on the streets of south London.
Shocking footage shows the 32-year-old man, wearing just a pair of boxers, swinging the huge blade at passersby outside a Poundland near Elephant and Castle.
A group of onlookers at one point attempt to rip the weapon from his hands when his back is turned but are forced to flee seconds later.
Eye witness Ryan Harris, 23, said he heard the commotion on the high street, and looked out his window to see the man holding the weapon.
‘My housemate and I could hear commotion for a good five to ten minutes, but thought nothing off it as we live by the high street,’ he said.
‘It got louder and we looked out my window and could see the man standing with a long thin blade.
Shocking footage shows a half-naked man threatening shoppers with a large knife outside a Poundland in south London
An eye witness heard the commotion on the high street and said the man ‘didn’t seem aggressive but rather was trying to intimidate someone’
‘He looked as if he was following someone but I couldn’t tell who, he didn’t seem aggressive but rather trying to intimidate someone.
‘The way he held it behind his back was almost like he wasn’t trying to be threatening.’
Met Police arrived at the scene minutes after reports of the incident at around midday yesterday.
A group of onlookers at one point attempt to rip the knife from his hands when his back is turned but are forced to flee seconds later
Ryan added that another person then took the blade from the half-naked man and threw it on the floor when they arrived.
‘He didn’t try to resist or anything and they took him away pretty quickly.’
A Met Police spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘Police were called shortly before 12:00hrs on Sunday, 30 August to reports of a man carrying a large knife on Walworth Road, SE17.
‘Officers, including firearms officers, attended. A 32-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and taken to a south London police station.
‘Enquiries continue.’
