St Paul’s woman left feeling ‘targeted’ after police raid on her home

A woman whose home in St Paul’s was raided by Avon and Somerset Police, has said she was “targeted” by officers instead of being “treated like a victim”.

Avon and Somerset Police said officers had entered the woman’s home on May 2 in response to a callout they had received, and had arrested her on suspicion of a firearms offence.

The spokesperson said that armed officers attended “due to the nature of the information received”. No firearm was located, the woman was “de-arrested at the scene” and no formal complaint has been made.

But Bristol Copwatch, a community police monitoring group in Bristol with whom the woman was a member, said the police had succeeded in “frightening our friend and team member” and had “chosen to target and put pressure on a vulnerable woman.”

“We cannot imagine anything more terrifying than armed police raiding a home acting on false and misleading information,” they said.

Argyle Road is Sandwiches between Brighton Street and Bridstocke Road – photo: Mia Vines Booth

Speaking about the experience, the member said: “(The police) said I mustn’t make sudden movements after they were in the flat. They threatened to take the door off. I don’t know how many there were as some were outside the back door.”

“I came to Bristol fleeing domestic abuse in London then being targeted by Avon and Somerset police instead of being treated like the victim I was in reality.

Bristol Copwatch has demanded an apology from Avon and Somerset Police.

“It’s time we started to take a stand as a community against increased levels of police misconduct in Bristol and Avon and Somerset,” they said.

“The armed police seem to be better at getting it wrong than getting it right.

“We’re working in our role as caseworkers and advocates to assist in the pursuit of not just justice but the truth.

“If chief constable Sarah Crew insists on letting an increasingly out-of-control force exercise extra-judicial punishment tactics on vulnerable women then it speaks volumes about the state of policing today,” they added.

“When it comes to the police, the divide gets wider and the trust erodes.

“We feel a public apology should be issued by the chief constable’s office for what could have been a fatal error of judgement. It’s clearer than ever that in 2023 they don’t protect us. We don’t think they ever will.”

A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset police said the woman had been arrested on suspicion of a firearms offence and searched the property.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the police said: “At just before 8pm on Tuesday (May 2), we received a call from a man in his twenties who reported being threatened by a woman with what he believed to be a firearm.

“The man reported seeing a woman hitting his vehicle with a traffic cone in Argyle Road, and he went out to challenge her. He said she threatened him with what appeared to be a firearm. He went back inside his property and called the police.

“Due to the nature of the information received, authority was given by a Firearms Commander for armed officers to attend this incident.

“As a result of a description given by the victim, officers were directed to attend a property in a nearby street.

“Officers knocked at the door of the property and spoke to the occupant, a woman in her fifties, through a window.

“They explained they were there because she matched the description of the suspect given by the victim. The occupant opened the door and officers went inside.

“The woman was arrested on suspicion of a firearms offence so a search of the property could be carried out under Section 32 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act.

“No firearm was located, but some other items were seized including clothing. The woman was de-arrested at the scene.”

“As part of our ongoing investigation into this incident we’ve carried out house-to-house enquiries in the area, and we’re gathering all available doorbell and CCTV footage for further review and analysis.”

Police said the altercation has been recorded on body worn cameras and that no formal complaint had been made.

Main photo: Mia Vines Booth

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