A man has been arrested by armed officers in Golders Green, north London, on suspicion of possessing a prohibited firearm, after police responded to reports of a man seen with a firearm in public. The incident occurred on Finchley Road at around 2pm, where officers were seen handcuffing a man. A backpack, a full-face camouflage helmet, and a device that appeared to be a black plastic gun were found nearby.
Arrest and Investigation
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that a 37-year-old man remains in custody following the arrest. Police later determined that the suspect item recovered from the scene was an air weapon, such as a BB gun or pellet gun, which shoots projectiles using compressed air or gas. In a statement, the Met Police said: 'We are aware of the concern this incident is likely to cause, given the appalling events in the local area in recent weeks. Firearms officers rapidly attended the scene and officers are now working to establish the full circumstances around the incident. We remain in close contact with the local community to offer reassurance alongside our additional patrols in the area.'
Context of Recent Attacks
The arrest comes amid a spate of recent anti-Semitic attacks in north London. On Monday, a Jewish man visiting from Israel was attacked by a gang of masked men after speaking Hebrew on his phone in Golders Green. Shalev, 22, was standing on the porch of his Airbnb apartment at 2am when five masked men overheard him, chased him, and brutally assaulted him, tearing his clothes and throwing away his shoes. In March, Jewish charity ambulances were torched overnight in Golders Green, causing explosions and approximately £1 million in damage. Three men and a teenager have been charged with arson. On April 29, two Jewish men were stabbed while walking in Golders Green. Essa Suleiman, 45, has been charged with attempted murder and will stand trial in March next year. Suleiman is also accused of attempting to murder a Muslim friend hours before the Golders Green incident.
