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Dramatic footage shows moment police officer is confronted by gunman

Pc Jemma Follows has been praised by colleagues for her cool and calm handling of the incident.

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The imitation 9mm pistol – which turned out to be a BB gun – which gunman Reece Lones was carrying, when he was confronted inside a house by police responding to burglary reports. (West Midlands Police/PA)

Dramatic body-worn video shows the chilling moment police answering a burglary call were confronted by a gunman at close range.

As he held what turned out to be a BB gun, Pc Jemma Follows – with her Taser raised – shouted: “What are you doing?” before calmly retreating from Lones.

Reece Lones court case
West Midlands Police body cam footage showing Reece Lones raising a gun as a police officer answers a burglary call at the address. (West Midlands Police/PA)

The 19-year-old, who came face to face with the officer, also backed away into a side room before fleeing the property in Park Street, Stourbridge, West Midlands, on the night of November 18.

After raising the alert, the female officer then jumped in a taxi to hunt Lones and a second suspect who had also been in the home.

The pair were tracked to Stourbridge High Street by armed officers, two hours after the initial call, with Pc Follows Tasering the other person, a 17-year-old male.

Reece Lones court case
Reece Lones, 19, was jailed for 27 months after admitting possession of an imitation firearm, following the incident in November last year. (West Midlands Police/PA)

Meanwhile, colleagues of “fantastic” 29-year-old Pc Follows have praised her “calm” during the incident.

Pc Follows, who has been with the force since 2007, said: “When I saw it, I thought anything could happen. Was I about to be shot?

“It has reminded me not to be complacent. I’ve been to similar jobs since and to a degree, I did think, is the same thing going to happen again?

“It does stick with me.

“It’s a reminder not to let your guard down too much because you never know what’s going to happen.”

Reece Lones court case
West Midlands Police’s Pc Jemma Follows was confronted at close range by the gunman, as she searched a house where a burglary had been reported. (West Midlands Police/PA)

Superintendent Phil Dolby, of West Midlands Police, said: “This was a fantastic arrest by armed officers.

“They used the minimum amount of force, while using their training about using strong verbal commands to keep the suspect contained.”

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