“I shouted ‘he’s here’ ... I then heard a gunshot very close to my ear”

“ABOUT 10.03am I saw the male in the denim jacket enter Stockwell tube station. I transmitted via my radio a request for directions as to whether (he) should be detained.

I received a reply from H5 instructing me to wait and I therefore continued with conventional covert surveillance. (I saw) the male in the denim jacket enter the foyer of Stockwell tube station and take a free copy of the Metro newspaper from a stand on the right-hand side of the foyer. He then walked towards the barriers, produced a ticket and passed through the barrier. He turned left and descended an escalator towards platforms 1 and 2, northbound. About halfway down he started to run and as he left the escalator at the bottom he turned left at the first archway/entrance to platform 2, northern line northbound.

As he did he ran towards a train, entered the carriage before turning right and walking through the carriage before taking a seat on the nearside of the carriage facing the platform opposite the next set of double doors on the carriage. He was sat down with a glass panel to his right about two seats in.

I took a seat to his left-hand side on the same carriage and there were about two or three members of the public between me and the male in the denim jacket. I noticed about two or three members of the public sitting on the seats opposite me.

After about 10 or 15 seconds I saw about four men moving along the platform towards the open double doors opposite the male in the denim jacket. I noticed these men were in plain clothes and the man in front was carrying a black pistol.

I immediately identified these men as police officers, probably from SO19, and decided to identify the male in the denim jacket, who I followed on to the Tube, to them as they appeared to be looking into the carriage as if searching for someone.

I therefore stood up and walked over to the open carriage doors, opposite the man in the denim jacket.

I placed my left foot against the open carriage door to prevent it shutting with my back against a glass panel with the armed police officers on the platform to my left. I shouted ‘he’s here’ and indicated to the male in the denim jacket with my right hand. I then heard shouting which included the word ‘police’ and turned to face the male in the denim jacket.

He immediately stood up and advanced towards me and the SO19 officers. He appeared agitated and his hands were below his waist and slightly in front. The man did not stand still and advanced to within about three or four feet of myself and the SO19 officers.

Assessing that I may be dealing with a terrorist subject and fearing for the safety of the public on the carriage the SO19 officers and myself, I grabbed the male in the denim jacket by wrapping both my arms around his torso pinning his arms to his side.

I then pushed him back on to the seat where he had previously been sitting with right hand side of my head pressed against the right hand side of his torso.

At this stage his body seemed straight and he was not in a naturally sitting position. I then heard a gunshot very close to my ear and was dragged away onto the floor of the carriage.

I shouted ‘police’ and held up my hands. I was then dragged out of the carriage by an armed officer who appeared to be carrying a long-barrelled weapon. I heard several gunshots as I was being dragged on to the floor and out of the carriage.

* Witness statement of surveillance officer Hotel Three.