Man tasered by police after brandishing knife in Mansfield street

Officers were called to Botany Avenue at 6:15pm last night (Friday) following reports of a man waving a knife around.

The suspect was allegedly seen hiding the weapon in his trousers following an argument with a member of the public.

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When confronted by police he acted suspiciously, moving his hands around the back of his body.

A Nottinghamshire Police spokesperson said: “Officers repeatedly asked him to keep his hands visible, challenging him for compliance, however the suspect darted off through neighbouring streets.

“A short chase on-foot ensued with police vehicles supporting, where the suspect then discarded the knife from his trousers but still failed to stop.

"After refusing to give himself up, whilst still running away, officers then took the necessary action to Taser the man before he could pose any further danger to the public.”

A 31-year-old man was arrested for possession of a bladed article in public, with the weapon being recovered from a nearby street and seized as evidence.

Chief Inspector Chris Sullivan said: “As a force we are committed to removing knives from the streets of Nottinghamshire and ensuring the public are safe.

“Given the seriousness of the incident, and the escalation of non-compliance, officers had to use Taser to stop the suspect before he caused any harm to a member of the public, or our officers.

“We will use the appropriate force necessary to catch those that are committing crimes across Nottinghamshire to maintain any potentially serious incidents escalating.”