London police shoot out car tires in suspected terrorism arrests

[steve2470]

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2013/10/14/London-police-shoot-out-car-tires-in-suspected-terrorism-arrests/UPI-18061381762297/?spt=rln&or=5

LONDON, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- A planned terrorist attack in Britain was foiled when four men were arrested in London after tires were shot out in a car chase, police said.

Scotland Yard said the men were arrested Sunday under the Terrorism Act 2000 on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Armed officers were deployed because it was feared the men could have access to weapons, the Telegraph said.

Police shot out the tires of a vehicle in east London while pursuing two of the men, each age 25, the Telegraph reported, adding witnesses reported observing police ram the rear of the car, while a helicopter hovered overhead, before it was brought to a stop Sunday evening.

*the end*

This caught my eye because of an earlier DU discussion about police shooting out tires on moving vehicles, specifically the mentally ill woman who crashed into the WH barricade.

[darkangel218]

1. Yah well, in UK they usually dont priorities killing their suspects.

They prefer people not to die and all.

[DJ13]

2. "Its not possible to shoot out tires"

I remember that thread.

[steve2470]

3. I wanted to get informed comment on this

Perhaps the UK cops shot out the tires before the vehicle was moving ?

[Bosonic]

6. It was a pre-planned arrest, so they had specialized ammunition

...

Two men, both aged 25, were arrested in a car in Mansell Street, Whitechapel, east London, after police fired "Hatton rounds" - ammunition designed to blow out tyres and blow open doors.

...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24515154

[steve2470]

7. thanks for that ! nt

[Blue_Tires]

8. I guess the London cops must be better shots or something...

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/cops-terror-suspects-nabbed-london/story?id=20566626

[Spider Jerusalem]

4. They were using a specific type of ammunition:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaching_round

And reference to another use of such shotgun ammunition by London police (emphasis added):

When the flying squad swooped on a gang planning to rob a warehouse near Heathrow on Monday, they used Hatton rounds to take out the tyres on their white van.

Instead of being made from lead, Hatton rounds are made from a molten mixture of wax and metal powder. The result is a slug that measures nearly 2cm in diameter, weighs 50g and can do jobs other bullets cannot. They are so big, they can only be used in Magnum shotguns.

"We designed them originally to blow doors off hinges," says Ross Clucas, of Clucas MOE, the Hull company that makes Hatton rounds ("MOE" stands for "method of entry&quot . The rounds work so well because they carry a decent punch, but also disintegrate on impact, so they don't go any further or ricochet dangerously. The safety aspect makes them a favourite of armed police in hostage situations.

Subsequent tests found they were also good for shooting out tyres. "They'll punch through the wall of a lorry tyre and because they've got a wax binder, when they hit the rubber, they tend to stick," says Clucas.

Safety is also why Hatton rounds are typically used for immobilising getaway vehicles. If police officers had used ordinary bullets or shotgun rounds, which spread shot over a wide area, they could have injured or killed the robbers or bystanders.

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2004/may/20/thisweekssciencequestions4

The police in DC weren't armed with specialist ammunition designed to shoot out tyres.

[steve2470]

5. ah ok thank you ! nt