A woman who was walking in Sutton Park just outside of Birmingham told West Midlands Police that she was threatened by a man who was firing a crossbow at a target
Officers have launched an appeal for information after a man wielding a crossbow allegedly ‘threatened’ a woman at a beauty spot.
The woman was walking in the popular Sutton Park about six miles north of Birmingham city centre when she saw a man “firing a crossbow at a target he had set up,” West Midlands police said. When she questioned whether he should be doing so, “the man made threatening comments towards her,” according to a police appeal.
Officers have been working to identify the man involved in the weeks following the incident, but have now turned to the public for help. The force says it has been carrying out ‘extensive enquiries’ and has stepped up patrols in the area since the ‘alarming’ incident.
West Midlands Police shared a photo of a man they want to speak to in connection with the incident on Friday, March 15. An appeal from the police issued today (April 27), reads: “Do you recognise this man? We want to speak to him after a man threatened a woman in Sutton Coldfield in March this year. Around late morning to midday on Friday, March 15, a woman was walking in Sutton Park when she encountered a man firing a crossbow at a target that he had set up. When the woman expressed concern at what he was doing, the man made threatening comments towards her.”
Police urged anyone with information, or who recognises the man in the image, to come forward as enquiries continue.
Sergeant Charlotte Price, Sutton Coldfield Neighbourhood Policing Supervisor, has spoken out to calm local nerves: “We understand that incidents such as this can cause alarm among the local community and in the weeks since this matter was reported to us we have been carrying out extensive queries.
“Despite our efforts, we have been unable to identify this man and we are now asking the public for their help. In the meantime, we will continue to carry out patrols in the area to offer reassurance to residents. Our officers are happy to speak to anyone about their concerns.
“If you have any information that can help please contact us on 101 or via Live Chat on our website and quote crime reference 20/322657/24.”