BBC new Docuseries shows petrol attack in UK

BBC new Docuseries shows petrol attack in UK
Photo credit: BBC

Violent-scenes shows an angry mob soak three police officers in petrol and left fearing for their live.

Police Constable Matthew Cutts spoke about the moment he and his fellow officers were covered in petrol in a new BBC documentary named Critical Incident.

Cutts said his initial thoughts were that it was an acid attack.

“I began to smell petrol, so I fumbled around to get my baton out and once I got it, I put it behind my head and struck [Jackson] - in line with my training,” PC Cutts said.

Chief Inspector Jonathan Baldwin, who was at the scene told the documentary how close his fellow officers came to being set alight. 

“One match, one lighter, one spark could result in us going up in flames and being disfigured for life or possibly being killed,” he said.

The incident, which occured on 5 May 2019, was as a result of a 12km high-speed pursuit of a motorcyclist where police made the arrest of a local man, Justin Jackson. 

Jackson was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison for eight counts of administering a noxious substance with intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy. 

As officers were making the arrest, a large crowd of around 20 to 30 people gathered to watch the incident in Basildon, just outside of London according to the Daily Mail. 

During the arrest, the officers present were threatened by a woman holding a hammer and physically attacked by one man, before another man came towards them carrying a watering can filled with petrol and doused it over eight officers he got close to.

Officers who were all present at the scene of the crime, spoke about what they could remember.

“I was at the bottom of the pile,” PC Andrew Bird told the BBC documentary. “You’ve got officers trying to get him off me but he had his arms wrapped around my legs - he was trying to keep hold of me.”

Eventually, backup arrived and several people were arrested - most have since been charged and sentenced.

All eight officers were commended for their bravery by Judge Samantha Cohen at Basildon Court.