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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Chris Slater

Moment brave officers chase man with gun after 'shots fired' in north Manchester

This is the moment quick-thinking brave police officers chase a man with a gun through the streets of north Manchester.

Mohammed Shabaz Rafiq, 24, is eventually pinned to the ground and detained after a failed getaway during which he discards the converted handgun which he had stashed inside a bin bag.

Rafiq, from Trafford, has now been jailed for five years following the drama in which shots are said to have been fired.

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The officers have been praised for potentially saving a life.

The three officers, PC Jack Ginger, PC Richard Hayes and PC Jessica Hamblet - were on patrol in Harpurhey just after 5.30pm on Wednesday March 24 this year when they became suspicious about a number of people hanging around Ashgill Walk, just off Fernclough Road.

They turned their patrol car around onto Moss Brook Road to investigate when they heard a loud bang, believed to be "shots being fired from just metres away from where they were driving" Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.

Just seconds later, Rafiq, who was carrying a black bin liner was spotted running onto Whiteaway Street where he tried but failed to jump into a waiting Ford Focus, which mounted the pavement in a bid to avoid the police officers.

Rafiq is detained by officers (Greater Manchester Police (GMP))

He was then chased on foot before being caught and arrested.

GMP today released footage of the pursuit, from one of the officers' body-worn cameras, on their social media channels

The bin bag, containing the gun and an empty cartridge, was discovered nearby.

Rafiq was jailed for five years at Manchester Crown Court today (Greater Manchester Police (GMP))

Rafiq, of Wharf Road, Sale, was charged with possession of a firearm and was today (Thursday) jailed for five years by a judge at Manchester Crown Court.

Following the case, Detective Constable Liam Carolan, from GMP's North Manchester's Disruption Team, said: "This is another fantastic result for the people of Greater Manchester where we've removed a firearm from the streets and found those responsible.

The gun which was found in the discarded bin bag (Greater Manchester Police (GMP))

"The quick-thinking and bravery of the three officers at the scene could have arguably saved a life that day.

"They are a credit to GMP and the people of North Manchester and have helped to ensure we've taken another criminal involved in firearms off the streets who so desperately tried to get away.

The officers have been praised for their brave pursuit (Greater Manchester Police (GMP))

"GMP is absolutely committed to making Greater Manchester a safer place to work and live and there is continuous work going on to tackle gun crime which is one of our priorities.

"In the space of a year, we've taken over 100 firearms off the streets of Greater Manchester and have teams of detectives striving to bring those involved in such crime to justice every day."

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