Laurence Dollimore
THIS is the terrifying moment a masked knife-wielding man sparked a panic by threatening to ‘blow up’ an apartment on the Costa del Sol.
The 29-year-old was filmed throwing a microwave, knives and other dangerous items off the balcony of a rental apartment in the resort of Benalmadena late last night.
The alarm was first raised when the man was seen by residents wandering through the common areas of the building with a mask and a large bladed weapon.
GOT A STORY? Email us at tips@theolivepress.es
He then emptied a fire extinguisher on the stairs and barricaded himself inside a rental flat, police said.
It was then he began throwing objects onto the road below, before threatening to cause an explosion.
The Intelligence Command, Communication and Control Centre (091) received a flurry of calls from terrified residents at around 1.45am.
Several plain-clothed police officers were the first to arrive to the scene. They located a knife with a 25cm blade next to the door of the apartment the suspect was holed up in.
They insisted that he open the door but he repeatedly refused their demands.
He threw a fire extinguisher, a bucket of boiling water, bleach, gym weights, knives and a microwave oven into the street below.
Agents from the special GOES task force had to cordon off the pathway, which is very popular due to its access to the beach promenade.
The attacker then held a lit candle in one hand and a bottle of what police feared was flammable liquid in the other, as he threatened to cause a blast.
Agents from GOES managed to force their way into the apartment and neutralise the suspect.
He was arrested for property damage, assaulting police officers and other alleged charges.
