Man, 68, arrested after firing bow and arrow at vehicles in Skelmanthorpe

A 68-year-old man was arrested in Skelmanthorpe after firing a bow and arrow at passing vehicles. No injuries were reported, but several cars sustained damage.

Bow and arrow fired at passing vehicles in Skelmanthorpe street

A 68-year-old man is in custody after firing a bow and arrow at moving vehicles on Huddersfield Road in Skelmanthorpe, westyorkshire.police.uk reported on Thursday.

Police received the first call at 5.37pm, reporting a man driving erratically while throwing rubbish and household items from a moving car. Further reports followed shortly after, stating the man had stopped his vehicle and begun discharging a bow and arrow in the street and towards passing traffic.

Members of the public restrained the man before armed officers reached the scene. District officers made the arrest at 5.58pm — 21 minutes after the initial call.

No injuries were sustained, though a number of vehicles were damaged. The man has been arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and remains in custody.

Detectives from Kirklees District CID have established a number of cordoned scenes in the vicinity of Huddersfield Road while they work to establish the full circumstances of the incident.

Detective Chief Inspector Oliver Coates said: "We recognise that this incident will have caused understandable concern in the community due to the serious nature of it and the fact it occurred in a busy area and was witnessed by many people."

Coates added that the situation had been resolved without anyone sustaining injury, and acknowledged the role played by members of the public who intervened before officers arrived.

"We are carrying out enquiries to establish the full circumstances, and we would ask that people avoid unhelpful speculation at this time," he said.

An increased police presence is expected to remain in the area while scenes are examined. Officers from the local neighbourhood policing team are working to reassure residents and keep community representatives informed.

Police are appealing for witnesses, in particular anyone with mobile phone footage, dashcam recordings or CCTV relevant to any part of the incident. Information can be passed to Kirklees District CID via the West Yorkshire Police live chat at westyorkshire.police.uk/livechat, quoting crime reference 13260540484.

Source: Google News UK — Crime (en)