Crown Jewels. By United Kingdom Government – Illustrated magazine. Creative Commons
Protestors who daubed the case containing the Imperial State Crown in apple crumble and custard in the Tower of London felt the long arm of the law when senior constable Mark Strongman apprehended them.
Take Back Power protestors daubed the Crown Jewels in apple pie and custard.
Cambridge based Constable Strongman, who has previous experience as a police negotiator, was visiting the Tower of London with his family when he heard a commotion and saw something had been thrown at the display case.
Constable Strongman, who was visiting Europe on leave, is due to return to his role as a member of the Police Commercial Vehicle Safety Team based in Te Awamutu. He has served in the police for nearly 30 years.
“I walked up to the two female suspects and introduced myself, informing them that I was arresting them for criminal behaviour and advised them of their rights,” Senior Constable Strongman said.
“I took an oath to the Crown so I figured my arrests procedures would stick.
“One was in possession of a backpack so I was concerned about what could be in there so quickly removed that and waited with the females until the Metropolitan Police officers arrived.
“As you can imagine, the whole place shuts down when the Crown Jewels are at risk, some very thick steel doors slammed closed.
“My wife Carmen and my brother and sister-in-law were ahead of me and had no idea what was happening.
“I just dropped straight back into work mode and felt I represented New Zealand Police well and in line with our values.”
The Metropolitan Police has already thanked Constable Strongman for a job well done as it acknowledged his timely intervention and use of his police skills in detaining the suspects.
His actions ensured there was no further damage to the Crown Jewels, and the Tower of London could remain open to the public.
A group calling itself Take Back Power have claimed responsibility for the attack.
Entrance to the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London. By Samuel Taylor Geer – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36712632
