Blackheath police drama: Knife suspect questioned as Sainsbury's reopens
The man suspected of being responsible for the armed police lock-down in Blackheath yesterday remains in custody.
Officers have been granted an extra seven hours to quiz the man after reports of an explosion and a knifeman running through Sainsbury's saw Blackheath town centre sealed off for several hours on Saturday.
The supermarket on Halesowen Street was back open as normal this morning after police finished examining the crime scene at around 11pm last night.
WATCH footage from the scene:
Shoppers were evacuated and emergency services rushed to Sainsbury's when a loud bang was heard and smoke was seen coming from the store toilets at around midday on Saturday.
A knife-wielding man was then seen running from the shop and police quickly tackled and arrested a suspect on nearby New John Street.
With reports of an explosion and tensions high in the wake of the Manchester terror attack, armed officers, a dog unit and the police helicopter were all sent to Blackheath, while a fleet of ambulances waited on standby around two miles away at Toys R Us in Oldbury.
However, despite the bathroom fire, nobody was injured and paramedics soon returned to their normal duties.
Sainsbury's, Halesowen Street and New John Street were all cordoned off until late on Saturday night and many shoppers had to wait hours to retrieve their groceries and vehicles.
West Midlands Police, who now have until Sunday evening to charge or release the suspect, confirmed a fire had been lit in the toilets but were unable to confirm what had started the blaze.
The force's incident manager, Chief Inspector Paul Minor, said yesterday that the motives of the suspect were not clear but that he did not believe the incident was terror related.
Meanwhile, armed officers were sent to high-rise flats around one mile away in Oldbury, where a man was threatening to harm himself with a knife on Saturday afternoon.
Specialist negotiators were sent to a flat in Hackwood House on Hartlebury Road in the Lion Farm Estate at 2.30pm.
Around four hours later officers forced their way in and the 34-year-old man was taken to hospital.
