Express & Star

Spain attacks: Wolverhampton judo instructor films terror suspect being shot dead by police

This is the moment a terror suspect was shot dead by Spanish police, in horrifying scenes filmed by a Wolverhampton judo coach from just feet away.

Published
The terror suspect (circled) appears to gesture towards police before he's shot

Fitzroy Davies was at a beachside restaurant in the Catalonia resort of Cambrils when the terrifying stand off started.

The footage shows the suspect fall to the ground as police shots ring out, before getting back up. He is then shot again, apparently fatally, as he stands on a pedestrian crossing.

WARNING: Contains scenes and language some viewers may find distressing

Mr Davies, a 54-year-old father of one from Bradley, explained: "We were sitting at the beach bar having something to eat when some girls ran in with fear on their faces and I saw people running down the street.

"I got up and saw a guy standing on the grass at the edge of the beach about 25 feet away. He had something that looked silvery over his body which could have been a suicide vest and was holding something in his hand. I don't know what it was but it did the job. It made everybody fearful and people started running away but I didn't.

"He was shouting something in a language I did not understand and somebody shouted police and around 30 seconds later four officers jumped out of a car and came between me and him. They had their guns drawn and were shouting at the guy. That is when I knew this was for real.

"The next thing there were about ten shots, crack, crack, crack, like a pop gun and he fell to the ground but two seconds later he stood back up again and stepped over a fence from the grass onto the street and came at the police.

Fitzroy Davies

"They were backing off and he was smiling at them as he charged towards them. He was behaving strangely, like he was on drugs. Ranting and raving as he went up and down the street. Then they fired again and he fell down. This time he stayed down.

"It was like watching a horror film, particularly when he jumped back up after being shot and started laughing at the police. I can't get that out of my mind. He must have been on something after taking that many shots."

A police officer walks near an overturned car at the spot where terrorists were intercepted by police in Cambrils

Astonishingly, while others ran for their lives from the scene Fitzroy stood filming the unfolding drama on his phone.

He explained: "I wasn't frightened. It must have been the adrenalin kicking in but this morning it is beginning to sink in and I will get grief over this from my family when I get home.

"It was only after people kept shouting at me Fitz, Fitz lets go, that I put the phone down and went. I have to admit that it was a bit crazy for me to behave like that. It was a real life brush with death."

Fitzroy then rushed to the nearby hotel where the party of female judo players from the Hardy Spicer Judo Club, which trains at the University of Wolverhampton, were based while enjoying a training camp in the sun. Two were aged under 16 and the rest over 18.

He said: "They were all in their rooms. I had a bit of a struggle getting some of them to open their doors because they did not know who was trying to get in. But everything was fine. Everybody was OK."

Fitzroy and the rest of the Hardy Spicer group arrived at the Cambrils training camp last Tuesday and are due to return home on Monday.

He represented GB at judo and reached the finals of the British and Belgium Open during his fighting days. He was eating with eight judo coaches when the drama started. One of these, Winston Gordon, currently coaching Germany, was wounded on the leg.

Fitzroy said: "It was only a scratch, probably a ricochete but he has gone to hospital today to get it treated. We are going to call it a war wound."