There were chaotic scenes on Friday afternoon as armed police descended on the area, a major road was shut down and traffic ground to a halt along Bury New Road.
Earlier that day, a man had been shot by an armed police officer after allegedly ‘failing to stop and driving directly at police’.
At approximately 3pm on Friday, May 22, officers attempted to halt the vehicle on Bury New Road. The car refused to stop and ‘drove directly’ at officers in a bid to escape, according to the force.
The driver was rushed to hospital with an arm injury, which has been described as neither life-threatening nor life-changing. No officers sustained injuries during the incident.
The force confirmed that a 20 year old white British man has been arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs.
The incident is not being treated as terror-related and has ‘no relevance’ to the Manchester Arena bombing anniversary. It is understood the initial reason for attempting to stop the vehicle was ‘unrelated to the local area’. GMP has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in line with standard procedure.
At the scene, one local resident reported hearing two gunshots moments before an air ambulance touched down at the nearby Victoria Park. Photographs and footage from the location depict Tactical Aid Units and Crime Scene Investigators examining the area. Inside a cordoned-off section, a vehicle was visible with its rear window shattered, debris strewn across the ground.
At 11pm on Friday, the road remained shut between Barn Street and junction 17 of the M60, according to Inrix, a traffic monitoring website.
Detective Superintendent Joe Harrop from GMP’s Serious Crime Division said: “We know people in the area will be concerned by what has happened and the visible increase in police officers in the local area as our investigations continue.
“Thankfully no members of the wider public, or officers were harmed in the incident this afternoon and we thank people for their patience while we remain at the scene.
“Should anyone have any concerns, please speak with our officers who are out in the local area, they are there to listen and assist where possible.”