Man, 69, tasered and weapons recovered following armed police call out to Northdown Road

Armed officers in Northdown Road Photo Francis Eaton

A 69-year-old man was tasered by police officers in Cliftonville following a call out to concerns of a person with a weapon.

Kent Police, including armed officers and a dog unit, were called to Northdown Road at around 10.40pm last night (June 29) to a reported disturbance. Officers attended the scene where a man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm.

Shocked residents said armed officers swarmed the road and passengers and a driver were evacuated from a bus in the area by St Paul’s Church.

Photo Francis Eaton

Resident Francis Eaton said: “It happened right over the road from my house. Police even told me I couldn’t stand out by my door and I had to go inside. Further back in the day one person was causing problems which led to the police being called because of a gun report.”

Officers recovered three firearms from a property at the scene.

A Kent Police spokesperson said: “Due to a failure to comply with officers’ requests, a taser was discharged prior to the arrest. The suspect, a 69-year-old man from Margate, was taken to hospital as a precaution and then taken into custody.

Photo Jelly McGowan

“Three firearms, suspected to be a blank firing pistol and two air weapons, were later seized at an address along with a quantity of cannabis plants. Officers remain at the scene as part of their enquiries into the disturbance.”

19 Comments

    • How do you know that that man has not got a pacemaker I think it’s disgusting that the police taste him somethings been said to set him off because he doesn’t normally say anything.

      • So what if he had , I am sure Police gave him plenty of chance to do as they said.

        Maybe drugs set him off as found in property , maybe he was having a row over a gun.

        At 69 he should know better and if drugs he should not take them .

        • Its a plant not a chemical cocktail like cocaine. Waste of tax money and resources to keep it illegal.

          • I thought it was legal in small quantities , personal use maybe I am wrong.

            My reply was someone moaned about him getting stunned , he would have been given plenty of chance to do as he was told and at 69 he should know better than argue with armed police , for all they knew at the time he could have had a gun in his pocket and shot anyone.

      • He didn’t follow instructions, if he had complied then no problem. People need to stop arguing with armed cops or trying to attack them, it is never going to go well for you if you do.

  1. Build another station as two will be needed in that area.

    Well done the police they do have some difficult jobs to do at times, anyone of them could have got shot.

  2. put that in the tourist information brochure – when will people around here wake up as too what this area is realy like ? arts and culture = my a**e

    • Not wrong realist…Emporers new clothes and so called multi ! Culture have done for Cliftonville as a viable place to live.

    • Yes realist, because you don’t get these issues anywhere else in the country do you. Is just Thanet! Let me tell you Thanet is calm compared to areas of London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leicester, Nottingham, Liverpool, the list goes on and on. Best build a trench round your house and lock yourself inside and never go out again!

  3. Hey Tdc, use the £millions Levelling Up cash you will get to sort out the existing problems. Yes its possible !

    Spend our money wisely, you know it makes sense.

  4. It was all because of a mentally disturbed neighbour in Arthur Rd who is known to the police for his continued harassment and intimidation of all his neighbours for the past 3 years since moving in, but the police do nothing about his anti-social behaviour, allowing him to get worse as he feels he is protected by them. He is picking on individuals one at a time. This is the second time in two weeks he has made accusations on neighbours of using weapons against him. He was the one who needed arresting as he was goading him an hour before to come over and stand under his CCTV before this kicked off, I heard and saw it but although the neighbours all came out to inform the police what is going on they did not even go and speak to the culprit, instead continuing with shooting the wrong elderly man who has a weak heart. The man who was tasered had done nothing wrong and was just celebrating England beating Germany with a few drinks. He may have had an air pistol or two hidden away in his house but he had not been using them at all. He does like a smoke of cannabis but grows just for his own personal use. I don’t agree with drugs at all but he doesn’t harm anyone, he is always friendly and helping others. It is such a shame the police do not investigate the real crime here.
    I think it is not before time the police rang a few doorbells in Arthur Rd and spoke to all the residents who are under fire from the antagonist and his persistent anti-social behaviour on a daily basis.

    • Everything you have written just proves how broken our society is. The fact that you think his behaviour is acceptable is a joke. Well done Kent Police.

      • What a wally you are Good Job. Why don’t you go speak to people in that area and you would take your words back. Believe what you will though.

      • What behaviour would that be, being the victim of intimidation and harassment and not having the police deal with it after being repeatedly reported over 3 years. They allowed this to escalate. The man in this story was doing nothing wrong except not comply to the police order to get on the floor and put his hands behind his back. That was a mistake but he was under the influence of alcohol. The behaviour of the man shouting at him from across the road and his anti-social behaviour towards all his neighbours is Okay then is it? The man who started it let off scott free to carry on with his intimidation and harassment. I don’t know where you come from but that is not acceptable to those who have to live there.

  5. well RL my answer to that is i am more likely to go to cliftonville than places in the north of england or the midlands ! so what is your point am i supposed to be grateful that this only happens every few weeks around here ? you are just another do gooder trying to distract from the facts about WHERE WE LIVE !

  6. well said Robster ! its a full time job for someone if they want it, we could do with a few vigilanties up there

  7. The area has way more than its share of lifes more problematic / unfortunate residents. Their behaviour is often erratic and antisocial but on the whole not seriously criminal. The police are on a hiding to nothing trying to deal with itcas thecrest of the criminal justice system doesn’t back them up.
    Its partly why cliftonville has its long standing reputation. I lived there for 6 years but the rubbish, screaming and shouting at all hours, idiocy and ignorance of the usual suspects meant it was eventually time to move on. You can’t fill an area with the residents it has and expect it to be normal.

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