Machete-wielding man threatened to 'chop up' police Published duration 2 August 2017

media caption Two police officers give chase to machete-wielding man in Birmingham

Two police officers chased and caught a man who was brandishing a two-foot blade in Birmingham city centre.

Footage has been released of the unarmed officers giving chase to 20-year-old Iryan Brown in September last year.

Brown reportedly shouted "come on I'll chop you up" to the two officers as he was pursued through busy streets.

He was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court for possessing an offensive weapon and making threats with a blade.

Brown, from Birmingham, will be detained indefinitely at a mental health facility under the Mental Health Act.

image copyright West Midlands Police image caption PC Stuart Hill said Brown threatened to "chop us up"

The two police officers, PCs Stuart Hill and Andy Carnall, received Chief Constable's Commendations for the half a mile chase from Printing House Street to Constitution Hill.

PC Hill said Brown appeared "very angry and was talking to himself" when they approached him and then "threatened to chop us up".

"It was rush hour so the roads were very busy. We knew we had to get a grip of him quickly as there was a clear danger to the public."

PC Carnell added: "I was concerned he may try to take a swing at someone or hold someone hostage, we had no idea what his intentions were."

image copyright West Midlands Police image caption The unarmed officers chased Brown for about half-a-mile

Brown was also found in possession of a lock knife when the officers disarmed him.

The officers' sergeant, Dominic Livesey, praised the constables for their bravery.

He said: "This was a scary, violent situation that could have ended very differently and with injury to members of the public had the PCs not responded so bravely and brought the incident to a swift conclusion."