Hull: Guilty plea following Hull firearms incident

Message from Humberside Police:-

Following an incident in December last year on Hessle Road, Hull, a 35-year-old man has appeared at Hull Crown Court today (Tuesday, 25 February) and pleaded guilty to a firearm offence. 

Andrejs Saveljevs of Boulevard, Hull, was charged with Section 16A of the Firearms Act, possession of a firearm or imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, after an incident in the early hours of Sunday, 15 December 2019. 

Reports were received from the public at around 1am that Saveljevs was in the street brandishing what appeared to be a handgun.  

Armed officers immediately attended where Saveljevs was located and 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. 

Since the incident, two investigations have been running parallel in connection to the events. 

A criminal investigation which has resulted in the court hearing today was carried out by Humberside Police. An independent investigation is also being carried out by the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) into the incident following a mandatory referral from the force.

As part of the criminal investigation once the weapon was recovered it was examined and identified as an imitation 9mm calibre Beretta Model 92F Pistol. Saveljevs was charged with the offence on Thursday 26th December, appearing in Hull Magistrates Court on Friday 27th December and being remanded into custody until his appearance today. 

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Phil Gadd said: “Saveljevs gave no consideration for the concern and fear that he would cause to the general public when he was seen brandishing what appeared to be a legitimate firearm. 

“I have no doubt that this would have been a terrifying experience for those in the area, as well as for our officers who attended and had to make split second decisions to ensure the safety of the public, which will always be our priority. 

“Any report of a firearm that we receive will always be treated with the utmost seriousness and receive an immediate response, as we will not risk the loss of innocent lives due to one person’s decision to break the law. We will always aim to deliver the best possible service to our communities across the Humberside Force area.”