Dramatic second plain garments police officer threatens commuters
- A concerned member of the public urged others to ‘calm him down’
- BTP say the footage has been shared with their Standards department for review
This is the dramatic moment a plain clothes police officer threatened members of the public with pepper spray at a London station.
In a video taken at Stratford Station, the man can be seen pointing and poising as he warns people to not come any closer, shouting ‘you better back off now’ and ‘I’ll spray you’.
British Transport Police (BTP) have confirmed the man is employed by the force and told MailOnline he had been working on an ‘anti-robbery operation’ at the time.
The footage has also been shared with their Professional Standards Department for review.
People took to social media to express strong thoughts on the behaviour after the video was uploaded to Instagram with some questioning ‘how are these officers being trained’ and ‘British Transport Police hires just about anyone these days’.
The man, who wears a hooded jacket and cargo trousers, states he is a member of the BTP and is ‘stationed in London’.
The plain clothes officer stands poised, ready to spray anyone who gets in his way
He stopped people from going through the barriers at the London station
Other members of the public soon started to get involved and voice their thoughts
The BTP officer was told to ‘calm down’ by a concerned member of the public
He said “you better back off now” and held up his pepper spray can
The incident caused a commotion at Stratford Station leaving people puzzled
One concerned member of the public can be heard in the video urging others to ‘calm him (the officer) down before something happens’.
A BTP spokesman said: ‘We are aware of a video posted on social media showing part of an incident involving a plain-clothes British Transport Police officer outside Stratford railway station.
‘On 15 September, officers deployed on an anti-robbery operation had stopped a person who was acting suspiciously.
‘A small group of people became hostile towards the officers and began to obstruct the search. The man was then taken into the station where he could be searched safely.
Who are the British Transport Police?
British Transport Police (BTP) are a special national police force who police the railway network of England, Scotland and Wales.
The force is funded almost entirely by Network Rail and Transport for London.
BTP launched the ‘See it, Say it, Sorted’ initiative in 2016 which encourages rail passengers to report suspicious activity.
Lucy D’Orsi is chief constable of the BTP.
‘The footage has been shared with our Professional Standards Department for review.’
Some took to social media to praise the individual for his efforts saying ‘the police need to be respected’ and ‘he seemed assertive and professional’.
Another person commented: ‘He did no wrong.’
In one part of the video, the armed man says: ‘I’m a police officer’.
A member of the public replies: ‘You’re not a police officer you’re a BTP.’
Standing his ground at the station barriers, the man responds: ‘That’s fine. Off you go sir.’
Stratford Station is a large multi-level station in east London.
It is the fifth busiest railway station in Britain and the busiest station in London outside the London station group which comprises 18 railway stations served by the National Rail network.
The station serves the town of Stratford and the Stratford City mixed-use development.
The 560-acre Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park also lies mostly in the town.
Other parts of the London park are located in the boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Waltham Forest.
The ArcelorMittal Orbit, a 114.5-metre sculpture and observation tower, is a notable landmark in the area.
