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| Police officers commended for making arrest dressed as zebra and monkey | |
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| A pair of off-duty police officers who made an arrest while dressed as a zebra and a monkey have been commended for their bravery. | A pair of off-duty police officers who made an arrest while dressed as a zebra and a monkey have been commended for their bravery. |
| PCs Tracy Griffin and Terri Cave were on their way to a fancy dress party when they came across a man yelling threatening abuse in a supermarket in Coventry in March 2014. | PCs Tracy Griffin and Terri Cave were on their way to a fancy dress party when they came across a man yelling threatening abuse in a supermarket in Coventry in March 2014. |
| The pair, dressed in zebra and monkey onesies, wrestled the man to the ground as he left the Co-op store and told one of the staff to ring 999. | The pair, dressed in zebra and monkey onesies, wrestled the man to the ground as he left the Co-op store and told one of the staff to ring 999. |
| The man was arrested and taken into police custody on suspicion of public order offences, said West Midlands police. | The man was arrested and taken into police custody on suspicion of public order offences, said West Midlands police. |
| The PCs, who are based in Solihull, spent the rest of their evening filing reports at the police station rather than heading to the party. | The PCs, who are based in Solihull, spent the rest of their evening filing reports at the police station rather than heading to the party. |
| On hearing the news of the arrest, colleagues tweeted from @SolihullPolice: "Man threatening to kill people didn't expect to be wrestled to the ground by our off-duty officer in a zebra onesie. We go that extra mile." | On hearing the news of the arrest, colleagues tweeted from @SolihullPolice: "Man threatening to kill people didn't expect to be wrestled to the ground by our off-duty officer in a zebra onesie. We go that extra mile." |
| Brian Eustace, 49, was later charged with public order offences and appeared before magistrates in Coventry in May 2014, where he was given a community order and ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work. | Brian Eustace, 49, was later charged with public order offences and appeared before magistrates in Coventry in May 2014, where he was given a community order and ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work. |
| The PCs' actions were described as "brave in the extreme" and "in accordance with the highest traditions of British policing". | The PCs' actions were described as "brave in the extreme" and "in accordance with the highest traditions of British policing". |
| At a ceremony in Edgbaston, Birmingham, on Tuesday night – dressed in their official police uniforms – they received a chief constable's commendation from the West Midlands chief constable, Chris Sims, in front of family, friends and colleagues. | At a ceremony in Edgbaston, Birmingham, on Tuesday night – dressed in their official police uniforms – they received a chief constable's commendation from the West Midlands chief constable, Chris Sims, in front of family, friends and colleagues. |
| Ch Supt Alex Murray, from Solihull police, said: "There was a lot of interest in this particular case for obvious reasons but, joking apart, PCs Griffin and Cave were faced with a very dangerous man in difficult circumstances and they stepped up to the plate. | Ch Supt Alex Murray, from Solihull police, said: "There was a lot of interest in this particular case for obvious reasons but, joking apart, PCs Griffin and Cave were faced with a very dangerous man in difficult circumstances and they stepped up to the plate. |
| "Let's not lose focus on the risk they exposed themselves to, without any protection, in tackling this man. Whether they were in fancy dress or not – the fact is they chose to put a member of the public's safety above their own and then cancelled their night out to make sure a professional job was done." | "Let's not lose focus on the risk they exposed themselves to, without any protection, in tackling this man. Whether they were in fancy dress or not – the fact is they chose to put a member of the public's safety above their own and then cancelled their night out to make sure a professional job was done." |