Cops Confront Screaming Knifeman on School Grounds in Chilling Standoff

A man wielding a knife was detained by response officers on the grounds of a school in Rochdale, in a terrifying incident captured on body cam footage shared by Greater Manchester Police. Local officers were called to the Edgar Wood Academy in Middleton on August 6 last year after a staff member reported a suspicious individual on the school premises. It was the summer holidays, and crucially, no children were present at the school during the incident.

The body camera footage shows officers swiftly exiting their vehicle and running towards Both Douk Deng, 21, ordering him to stop. A brief scuffle ensued before the officers managed to tackle Deng to the ground amidst his screams. During the detention, officers were heard remarking that Deng was in possession of a hammer and a hatchet.

Both Douk Deng was subsequently jailed for two years on July 28 after pleading guilty to a range of offences. These included criminal damage and possessing weapons, including a knife, in a public place and specifically on school premises. The court heard that Deng, a South Sudanese national who had applied for and been refused asylum on three occasions, had become 'increasingly frustrated' with immigration authorities for not providing assistance in his bid to stay and work in the UK. He sought to 'create a scene for attention' to highlight his cause.

The court was told that Deng was arrested after workmen confronted him at Edgar Wood Academy in Heywood. Earlier, a member of the public had raised concerns after observing Deng 'behaving oddly' in the street nearby, en route to the secondary school. He was seen holding a petrol can with a hammer tied to his belt and was 'mumbling' as he walked a 'full circuit' around the school, which was closed to pupils. Builders working on site became concerned when he approached the building and subsequently called the police. When he was detained, Deng was walking away from the school, and he was found to be in possession of a hammer, a hatchet, a seven-inch kitchen knife, and a jerry can containing half a litre of petrol.

A day prior to the Rochdale incident, Deng had also been spotted 'acting oddly' at another school, Holy Family RC and CE College in Rochdale, which was also closed to pupils. There, he kicked and damaged its intercom system.

Sara Haque, defending, stated that Deng maintained his actions were not motivated by any desire to injure or harm any person. She described his conduct as a 'bizarre and compulsive act lacking in any type of maturity', occurring at a time of deep distress following his departure from Sudan and his family in traumatic circumstances. Haque emphasized that Deng 'wanted attention' and was 'in crisis', but was not motivated by hostility towards children, teachers, or the wider public, noting there was no evidence he threatened any individual. Deng, who has a wife and children, had found himself in a foreign country with very limited English and unable to work due to his immigration status. He felt unheard and unassisted by immigration authorities, believing he had reached the limit of his ability to cope within his multiple accommodation housing (HMO). His primary wish was to work and support his family.

Psychiatric reports on the defendant did not identify any major mental health issues. Judge Bernadette Baxter, while sentencing Deng to serve up to half his sentence in custody, commented that she had 'no power to order the Home Office to do anything', but in her judgment, 'given your circumstances as a failed asylum seeker who has been in custody for the best part of a year, the Home Office should be doing something rather than nothing to deal with your status in this country'.

Chief Superintendent Helen Caldbeck, District Commander for Rochdale, commended her officers for their response. She stated, 'I’m incredibly proud of the officers’ response to this incident. They were professional and brave in tackling a suspicious man armed with weapons and immediately confronted Deng, to keep the public safe.'