Armed police and an air ambulance were dispatched to Whitefield in Greater Manchester today. In addition to the presence of smashed cars, undercover police vehicles were also observed at the scene on Bury New Road. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) reported that officers tried to stop a vehicle at 3 pm. The car attempted to evade the police by driving directly at them, resulting in a firearms officer firing a single shot.
The driver of the car sustained an arm injury and was taken to the hospital; fortunately, the injury was deemed non-life-threatening and not life-altering. Subsequently, a 20-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of involvement in the distribution of Class A drugs.
Residents in the vicinity reported hearing what seemed like gunshots around 3:30 pm, followed by the arrival of an Air Ambulance at the location. Authorities advised motorists to avoid the area due to increasing traffic congestion, as stated by Bury Council.
Detective Superintendent Joe Harrop from the Serious Crime Division assured the public of ongoing investigations and thanked them for their cooperation and patience. He emphasized that no civilians or officers were harmed during the incident. Greater Manchester Police reiterated the sequence of events and the arrest of a 20-year-old suspect in connection with drug-related activities. The closure of A56 Bury New Road in both directions was reported by traffic monitoring site Inrix, attributing it to the police incident.
Witnesses recounted armed police responding swiftly to the scene, with reports of gunfire, according to MEN.
