Armed police have been seen on film capturing a suspected escaped prisoner – after surrounding his car near a gym and blocking an attempted getaway.
Footage of the incident in Coventry on Tuesday morning has been widely shared online, with West Midlands Police now confirming its firearms officers took part.
The video clip shows a man separating from two others in a car park off Santos Close in Coventry, near to a Fitness Factory gym.
Black-clad officers are then shown swooping on the car which veers in different directions – appearing to have its tyres shot at and punctured by police.
After the driver remained at the wheel of the swerving car – smashing into several parked vehicles – he was seen then held outside the vehicle by a swarm of officers.
There have been suggestions online that it was a National Crime Agency operation to capture an escaped prisoner and which had been three months in the planning.
But the NCA told the Daily Mail they were not part of the incident.
And now West Midlands Police has issued a statement about its involvement, saying: ‘Officers carried out a pre-planned operation in Santos Close yesterday.
‘A 32-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of absconding from prison as part of an ongoing investigation.’
Armed police have been seen on film capturing a suspected escaped prisoner – after surrounding his car (the black one, pictured right) and blocking an attempted getaway
Footage shared online shows how a driver remained at the wheel of his swerving car – smashing into several other parked vehicles – before being detained by a swarm of officers
The force confirmed that firearms officers were involved in the operation, while saying the suspect remained in custody this afternoon.
Comments in response to the clip shared on X, formerly Twitter, include: ‘Why let him get in the car on the first place and let all that damage get caused to other vehicles?’
Another poster wrote: ‘Glad they got him off the streets without a chase putting the public at risk.’
Further replies online included ‘Taking out the tyres was a clinical move’ and ‘Fancy coming back to your car to see that carnage’.
It was also remarked: ‘Suspect had some suspect driving skills.’
The car park is in the Coventry district of Binley, fewer than 10 minutes’ walk from a chip shop that previously became an online sensation fuelled by TikTok posts.
Binley Mega Chippy was inundated with tourists pouring into the shop from as far afield as Portugal and Australia after a catchy music video was posted on the website.
