Police officers praised for tackling knifeman as thug jailed for 14 years - The Solihull Observer

Police officers praised for tackling knifeman as thug jailed for 14 years

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Solihull Editorial 27th Nov, 2018   0

A MAN who threatened to chop off two police officer’s heads as they arrested him in Acocks Green while wielding a knife and hammer at them has been jailed.

Dangerous Ryan Liebenrood was also filmed smashing at a flat door in the area after shouting through the letterbox demanding drugs and money two weeks before.

Neighbourhood officers Adam Jones and Jack Gallagher disarmed the 33-year-old using their batons and CS spray before arresting him in Olton Boulevard East on June 3.

Liebenrood, of no fixed address, was jailed for a total of 14 years after admitting several armed offences, including a robbery in Devon where he seriously injured a man with a sickle – a bladed weapon.




PC Adam Jones − who has been with West Midlands Police for 10 years − said: “We were heading back to the station but thought we’d have a bit of a drive around on the lookout for Liebenrood as we knew he was wanted.

“Luckily enough we spotted him and as we approached he pulled out a hammer followed by the knife. He was waving both in our faces, threatening to chop our heads off, and refusing to put the weapons down.


“The adrenalin kicked in and we managed to overpower him before he could do any damage.”

Liebenrood was wanted over a wounding at a flat in Torquay Road, Newton Abbot on May 14 that left a man with a 10cm gash across his hand.

The crack cocaine addict − who claimed he committed offences to pay of spiralling drugs debts − lashed out with a sickle through a smashed door pane and struck the 58-year-old victim as he tried holding shut the door.

Moments earlier he’d struck another man at the address over the head with a hammer as he demanded cash and drugs.

Liebenrood fled to the West Midlands where his offending continued on May 19 when he tried to smash his way into a property in Warwick Road with a rake.

He failed to gain entry and was also chased off after sneaking into a house in Meadway, Stechford.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Craig Tennant, said: “Liebenrood is a man with a history of extreme violence with weapons.

“It took some guts for the two neighbourhood cops to front him up and detain him before he could risk injuring anyone else.

“They did a fantastic job and their bravery has now resulted in Liebenrood being put behind bars for a long time.”

Liebenrood was jailed for nine years for the attempted robbery and wounding in Newton Abbot, plus an extra three years for another robbery attempt at the same Devon address on May 9 and consecutive one-year terms for the Acocks Green attempted break-in and June 3 weapons offences.

He admitted the offences.

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