A BRAVE off-duty Acocks Green special constable disarmed a suspected gunman moments after a gunshot was fired.
Abdullah Bin Imad was about to get some food in the Dale End area of Birmingham on July 7 when he saw two men he thought were acting suspiciously.
After becoming increasingly concerned about their behaviour, the 22-year-old moved into a coffee shop to phone 999 to report that he believed the men may have had a gun.
Seconds later, a shot was fired and Abdullah ran out of the shop, detained one of the men and recovered a firearm.
CCTV shows Abdullah restrained the man and kept the gun out of reach until armed officers arrived minutes later.
West Midlands Police said the gun was later established as blank-firing weapon.
Abdullah, who is an electrical engineer and has been a special for four years with the Acocks Green neighbourhood taskforce, said: “I wanted the suspect off the street and as far away from the public as possible.
“I was worried for other people’s safety because of what – from my point of view – I believed it to be a live and viable firearm.”
Two men, aged 48 and 32, remain in custody for firearms offences and investigations continue.
Det Supt Jim Munro, from Birmingham Police, said: “Abdullah showed extreme bravery and didn’t waste any time putting his training to effect.
“He saw there was a potential threat to public safety and did the right thing by phoning for assistance. When the gun was fired, there’s no way he would have known that it was not a live firearm.
“He safely brought a suspect off the street and had the safety of the public at the forefront of his mind throughout.
“This is a timely reminder that our officers are never truly off duty, of the value that special constables bring to the policing family, and of the risks that they face on a daily basis.”
Anyone with information should contact police on 101, quoting log 2796 of July 7.
