A MAN seen brandishing a crossbow in Barnsley town centre led to an arrest by armed police.
At around 1.30am this morning (Sunday, May 9) a man was located on police CCTV reportedly threatening members of the public with the weapon.
Armed police confronted the man on Peel Square and he dropped the crossbow, fleeing before being caught and detained by officers on the bridge overlooking West Way.
Superintendent Paul McCurry said: “Prior to their arrival, unarmed officers on routine public order duty approached the man using their shields to protect members of the public.
“Their actions resulted in the man dropping the weapon, which was safely recovered.
“The man then ran from officers, climbing onto the bridge on West Way. Due to the skills of officers at the scene, he was swiftly detained and brought to safety.”
A 31-year old man from Barnsley was arrested on suspicion of affray and remains in police custody.
No-one was injured during the incident.
Supt McCurry added: “This was a serious incident which was distressing for those who saw it unfold.
“Our officers showed their absolute commitment to public safety this morning, they responded very quickly with limited protection to safely resolve the incident.
“Clearly our investigation into this incident is continuing and it is vital that anyone who saw what happened gets in touch with us.
"If you have any information, photos or video footage that might help us, please contact 101 quoting incident number 75 of May 9.”
