Gunman’s sentence welcomed

19 June 2020

Humberside Police Federation has welcomed the two and a half year sentence given to a man jailed at Hull Crown Court today for a firearms offence.

Andrejs Saveljevs (35) of Boulevard, Hull pleaded guilty at a court hearing in February this year to Section 16A of the Firearms Act, possession of a firearm or imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, following an incident on Hessle Road in the city in the early hours of Sunday 15 December 2019.

Reports had been received from the public that Saveljevs was in the street brandishing what appeared to be a handgun. Armed officers immediately attended and Saveljevs was found to be in possession of a weapon which he aimed at armed officers.

Saveljevs was shot by police and taken to hospital to be treated for injuries. The weapon was recovered and examined as part of the investigation, later being identified as an imitation 9mm calibre Beretta Model 92F pistol.

“We welcome the fact that this individual has been jailed today. He was clearly a danger to the public and also to the police officers who attended the incident,” says Helen Collier, secretary of Humberside Police Federation, “The police officers involved acted in the finest traditions of British policing. They faced a dangerous situation and took a split-second decision to shoot this man. It is never a decision our officers take lightly but they felt they had to do so to protect themselves and members of the public.

“I hope that in sentencing Saveljevs to two and a half years in prison the court has not only suitably punished him for his actions but also sent a strong message to others who might consider behaving in such a threatening manner.”

The incident was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) at the time to carry out an independent investigation that looked into the officer’s actions. The investigation concluded earlier this year with no criminal conduct or misconduct identified for any officer involved.