A suspected terrorist who stabbed a detective during a raid linked to last week's discovery of the deadly poison ricin was not handcuffed at any stage, the dead officer's chief constable confirmed today.
Special Branch Detective Constable Stephen Oake (40) died as three suspects of north African origin, aged 23, 27 and 29 years-of-age, were being detain yesterday at a flat in Crumpsall, north Manchester.
Questions were being asked today about why the suspect was not handcuffed and how he was able to launch an attack with a kitchen knife more than an hour after the initial raid, killing the father-of-three, who was not wearing body armour.
Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable, Michael Todd said: "They (the suspects) were detained and actually being held by officers at the time.
"So it was then decided that you can't handcuff someone while you are actually conducting that sort of examination.
"One of the individuals was being held by a police officer, a uniformed officer who was protected, and it appears from the debrief that we have done overnight, that the suspect has managed to break free from the officer, the two of them have then literally, in fighting, gone into the kitchen area, where the suspect has managed to grab hold of a knife.
"I have to say then the Special Branch officers, including Steve, very bravely went to assist their colleagues and that's how he has been fatally stabbed."
Commenting on the fact that the Special Branch officers were not wearing body armour, Mr Todd added: There was no perceived risk."
A Greater Manchester Police spokeswoman said that at no stage before the stabbings were any of the suspects handcuffed.
Mr Oake, from Poynton in Cheshire, died at the nearby North Manchester General Hospital after receiving emergency treatment at the scene.
He leaves a wife of 20 years, Lesley, a 15-year-old son and two daughters, age 12 and 14.
PA