Not sure exactly what happened in Brockley yesterday afternoon, the story circulating on twitter was 'Crazy guy wielding a pitchfork in Brockley has police cars & helicopters after him, lots of blood in the street'. Don't think it was quite a bloodbath, but what is clear is that at around 3 pm there was initially some kind of incident with a man threatening people by the row of shops opposite the Brockley Barge on Brockley Road. He then seems to have been chased towards Brockley Station and run across the train lines, leading to trains being stopped. First Capital Connect reported 'Delays of up to 45 minutes between Norwood Junction and New Cross Gate because of a trespass incident at Brockley'.
The police gave chase with the police helicopter twitter account (yes there is one) reporting '1535: Currently over Brockley @mpslewisham searching for male chased by local Officers'. Don't know if he was arrested, whether anybody was injured, or what the alleged weapon was - did anybody actually see the fork?
Anyway this was all going off right next to Brockley Christmas Market in Coulgate Streeet, where people were sipping mulled wine, buying presents and listening to Brockley Ukulele Group. 'Mike Modular' has posted a sound recording on audioboo that captures the strange soundclash of ukes, sirens and helicopters. This is a slice of sound that sums up early 21st century Brockley (and indeed other areas like East Dulwich and the Bellenden end of Peckham) - a pleasant if slightly twee world of cup cakes, crafts and small stringed instruments periodically interrupted by desperation and violence.
Update Monday: so was this all a big fuss about not very much? According to eye witnesses in comments there was a some kind of altercation by the Brockley Barge, followed by a guy waving a swiss army knife around. Later someone, possibly the same guy, was seen with a garden fork being threatening. Doesn't seem there was blood on the streets , as reported on Twitter, or indeed anybody injured, and as a fork was abandoned at the scene it doesn't really sound like there was a guy wandering the streets of Brockley for 24 hours brandishing a pitch fork. A big police operation failed to find him that day and the next day someone - perhaps the same guy again - was arrested in Brockley, with Lewisham police reporting that 'a burglary suspect that @MPSinthesky assisted us with... was arrested & has been bailed pending further enqs'. No doubt distressing for some people directly involved and could have ended badly, but to be honest sounds like a fairly routine case of messed up drink/drugs/mental health issues.
I love the fact that the Ukers kept on playing!
ReplyDeleteI used to play with BUG, and I guess having played over the noise of drinkers in Amersham Arms, Jam Circus etc., a mere police helicopter is nothing.
ReplyDeleteThe 2 guys concerned came out of the Barge when I was crossing towards the market with my 2 kids. They were obviously very strung out and had that unmistakable druggies' flakey grey pallor etc. My friend was in the Barge toilets when one of them was in there swearing loudly to himself so the argument obviously started in there. They stopped the traffic shouting at each other in the middle of the crossing and then nearly knocked us over as one chased the other into Gulen's. One loud crash later, and the more aggressive of the 2 then appeared brandishing the blade of a swiss army knife. Not sure where the other guy was then. A young woman then started calling him a 'pussy' for getting his blade out (boy-scout-like though it was). At this point my 5-yr-old son started joining in and telling him off... thankfully the crossing went green and I could hoist him across the street out of the way (!). In my own defence, I looked at the chi-chi products on sale but couldn't afford any of it. We were only there to see some kids sing carols. It was interesting trying to explain it all (above the din of 2 police copters) to my 9-yr-old daughter who doesn't quite remember the Alpha Club before Jam Circus appeared. And yes, I have been here longer than 2005.
ReplyDelete"the strange soundclash of ukes, sirens and helicopters."
ReplyDelete"I love the fact that the Ukers kept on playing!"
The spirit of Lol Coxhill lives on!
Caught the tale end as people rushed out of the takeout shop, chicken and chips everywhere (no blood that I saw as reported), at which point a pitchfork was discarded on the pavement, so was definitely involved somewhere, along with a long metal pole. Although either could of been self defence by the staff in the shop........
ReplyDeleteSunday - Just went for a run and saw police taping off Harefield Road in Brockley and helicopter over the area for second day running. Brockley Central reports that it may be the man who seemingly evaded police yesterday, possibly trapped on a roof in that road. Hope it doesn't end badly, the guy sounds like he might be in a bad way, and earlier this year when Lewisham police came across a guy with mental health problems and a blade in Forest Hill he ended up being shot.
ReplyDeleteThis is indeed the soundtrack of the 21st century.
ReplyDelete2 things:
ReplyDeleteI saw the lunatic as I was sat in Gantry yesterday pm. he was walking past the sorting office, I can confirm he had a gardening fork and was just shouting / growling / gurning at anyone and everyone. Took an amusing comedy swipe at the bendy sign outside costies, walked into lions chicken and was chased out by two big dudes! Classic.
second thing... Bellenden... LOL
I Had a incident with this man in lions food shop he is very dangerous do not approach him
ReplyDelete3 big dudes 2 be exact
ReplyDelete