My arrest story
Comments(10) Well iv told tidbits of my story to people, but never the whole thing (Well, not publicly), so here goes
I was meeting a friend in town for dinner (An ex boss of mine, a good friend) on 12th May 2008, I had nothing else to do that day, so I thought id head into town early and take a walk with my camera (A large Nikon D300). I dropped my car off at Wimbledon Park, in the free cark park zone, and got the tube in.
I got the district line to Westminister, and decided to go for a wonder, through Horse Guards Parade (I like the open space and the gravel), maybe through St James Park, and Hyde Park, then id catch a bus to where I used to work to meet my boss. On that day, it was around 30 Deg C – it was very hot and a lovely day (this is an important fact).
When I was walking through Horse Guards parade, an armed police officer wondered upto me (Well, he could have just been patrolling, who knows?), so I just start speaking to him – I ask him the usual stuff like hows he doing and hows his day going, he says its really hot and he wishes he was at home instead of out here in this heat, carrying all his stuff (He had a rather large MP5). I ask him how long does he have to stand around in this heat(*), he says a few hours yet, I ask him cant you hide in the shade(*), he says no he can’t. He asks me if I have any ID on me, I ask him why he wants it. He says he’s going to perform a stop and search on me, and could I please escort him to the bollards on the other end of Horse Guards Parade.
I didnt think much of it at this moment in time, as iv been stopped and searched before. He orders me to walk, infront of him, to the bollards. While I turn towards the bollards, I hear him call over the radio that he needs urgent armed assitance “on the dust” (which im presuming is the codeword for the gravely bit of horseguards parade). While I start walking, I turn around and ask him what was up, he says to face forwards, to keep walking, to keep my hands visible and to always stay infront of him. I notice his thumb has moved to the trigger selector on the MP5, and im worried.
We get to the bollards, and he says to keep my hands on the bollard, and to keep my feet apart. I try to turn around to ask him what is wrong, he shouts at me, telling me not to turn around, to keep looking forward. About two minutes later, 3 Diplomatic Protection Group (DPG) SUV’s turn up (Red police cars in London, incase your wondering), and a bunch of armed officers get out. All this, while Officer Maybury (Or as I like to call him, Shit-For-Brains) is standing about 8 meters away, with his mp5 in a firing position, albeit not pointing at me.
The first thing one of the other armed police officers do, is cuff me, forcefully and rather painfully. They ask me if I have any ID on me, I tell them in my left pocket in my wallet. They ask if I have anything I shouldnt have on me, I tell them I have a covered syringe (I am a diabetic afterall), and a swiss army knife on my keyring.
They empty all my pockets out, and have a look through my phone (which im not sure if its legal or not), and they notice a picture of a man (dressed in a womans dress) on the tube. They also see a tube map in my pocket, and a railway map in my other pocket, with a circle around Wimbledon railway station (which is the closest railway station to me). They also see pictures of other things on the tube (I took a photo of an advert on the tube, so I can buy the book later on, which I did), and other misc things, like me dressed in my combats for my airsoft.
Continued in part 2….
