This is the moment a man reached for a gun as a thug stormed into a sports bar with a knife.
The ECHO previously reported how two men were caught on CCTV approaching a group of people outside Parnells in Waterloo shortly after 11pm on Wednesday. This footage captures the incident outside the sports bar on South Road.
In the CCTV a man appears to pull a knife from his trousers and move quickly towards a person standing at the door. He is then grabbed by a number of men and dragged in the door of the bar.
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The second masked man is then seen trying to hit another member of the group who is standing close to the railings. The man quickly punches him first, they grapple with each other and the masked man runs from the scene.
Moments later, the man with the knife is dragged back out onto the footpath where two men attempt to wrestle the knife from him. As they punch and grab him, one man is seen holding, what appears to be, a gun to him before it quickly disappears from view.
The masked man lost his face covering in the brawl after being repeatedly punched to the head before another man comes out of the bar holding a metal stool. As the man attempts to break free he is smacked to the back with the stool and pulled to the ground.
He is then kicked to the face and body before one man pulls his shoe off him. After a few moments he is let go and he runs from the scene.
However, a second clip which appears to be take in the doorway of the bar captures the moment one of the men reaches for a gun. In the beginning of the video, it shows a number of people entering the bar and a group of men standing outside talking.
Suddenly a number of men can be seen running towards the inside of the bar. One man grabs a stool before throwing it on the floor. One man can be seen rummaging through a bag before he brandishes a gun.
The man with the knife then enters the doorway of the bar and comes face to face with the man holding the gun. He is then pushed out by the man with gun before being punched to the back of the head and dragged to the ground.
The video then captures him being punched and dragged to the ground again. Numerous people leave the bar to see what is happening.
Merseyside Police confirmed two men have been arrested following the disturbance. A 25-year-old man from Bootle was arrested this morning (Friday) on suspicion of affray and possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. He remains in police custody pending further investigations.
Thomas McClelland, 27 years, from West Derby has been charged with being in possession of a bladed article in a public place and is due to appear at Knowsley Remand Court on Saturday April, 16.
Detective Inspector Paul Gillies said: “Although two arrests and a charge has been made, our enquiries continue and we’d still urge anyone who witnessed the incident, saw any suspicious behaviour, to please contact us so we can bring them to justice. Either tell us directly or anonymously through Crimestoppers.
“The use of any weapons is reckless and will not be tolerated, and can have devastating consequences, not only for the victim and their family but also for the offenders involved.”
If you have any information on the possession of weapons in your community, please contact @MerPolCC on Twitter or Facebook ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’. You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555. Always call 999 if a crime is in progress.
