Portsmouth police respond to TikTok video showing armed officers surrounding a man
Police have provide information on an incident after a video was released showing armed officers surrounding and aiming at a suspect in Portsmouth.
The video was posted by the Daily Mail on its TikTok account yesterday (May 30) and was filmed by the suspect as police aimed tasers and what appear to be guns at him. The man shouts “I am scared of you” and asks “why have you got six guns pointed at me?”.
Police have confirmed that the incident took place in July 2023 and was part of an investigation that was launched following the report of an armed robbery on July 11, 2023. A man in his 20s was pulled over on Museum Road by someone pretending to be a police officer who then assaulted and robbed him of his car, wallet, watch and cash.
The victim also reported that he was threatened with a gun. A day after the robbery, the arrest captured on video occurred, when a vehicle reported to have been involved was stopped by police. Two men were arrested but after a two-year investigation no charges were brought and they were released.
A Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary spokesperson said: “On July 11, 2023, we received a report of an armed robbery, in which a man had pulled a vehicle over on Museum Road in Portsmouth whilst impersonating a police officer. He had then assaulted and robbed the driver, a man in his 20s, of his car, watch, wallet and cash. It was reported that the man had also been threatened with a gun during the incident.
“Following this report, an investigation was launched and officers carried out an enforcement stop on the vehicle in this video on Clarendon Road, which had been reported to be involved in the armed robbery.
“A 32 year-old man from Gosport and a 31 year-old man from Portsmouth were subsequently arrested on suspicion of robbery, impersonating a police officer, possessing an offensive weapon, possession of Class A drugs and possession of Class B drugs.
“Following a thorough two-year investigation, no charges were brought and both men were released with no further action.”