Shocking bodycam footage shows the moment a police officer came face-to-face with a gun-brandishing robber. The teen – armed with a fake gun – was jailed for more than two years.
West Midlands police officer PC Jemma Follows can be heard saying “what are you doing?” as Reece Lones, 19, pops out of a room and into the hallway of a Stourbridge home with what appeared to be a gun. The imitation weapon was later discovered to be a BB gun designed to look like a 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
In the high-octane footage, Follows can be seen withdrawing from the house before chasing the suspects in a taxi. The chase ended dramatically about two hours later when Lones was arrested after being spotted by firearms officers on Stourbridge High Street.
On Wednesday, Lones, of no fixed address, was jailed for 27 months after entering a guilty plea for the possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.
DC David Franks, who investigated the case, said: “This was fantastic police work by PC Follows. She kept her calm throughout, and whether she was dealing with members of the public or suspects, she knew exactly what to do.”
Superintendent Phil Dolby, who oversees the work of firearms officers, said: “[Police] used the minimum amount of force, while using their training about using strong verbal commands to keep the suspect contained.”
PC Follows, who has been with the force since 2007, said: “When I saw [the gun], I thought anything could happen. Was I about to be shot? It has reminded me not to be complacent. I’ve been to similar jobs since and to a degree, I did think: Is the same thing going to happen again?
“It does stick with me. It’s a reminder not to let your guard down too much because you never know what’s going to happen.”
In interview, Lones admitted that the gun was pointed at PC Follows, but that he hadn’t deliberately aimed it and had only been mucking around with the fake weapon.