Dramatic arrest of Luton 18-year-old with gun captured on police body cam

Malcolm Mangawa, 18, of Verde Close, Luton, was sentenced to six years in prison on Friday (May 3) at Luton Crown Court. He pleaded guilty to three firearms offences at an earlier court appearance on 22 March.

Mangawa was arrested by two firearms officers in February in St Dominic’s Square, Luton.

A member of the public had called police to report a man getting into a taxi with a gun. Officers were able to trace the taxi to the area, and the two firearms officers stopped and searched Mangawa because he matched the description of the man they had been given.

On searching him, they found him with a loaded gun. He was arrested and charged with possession of a weapon and possession of ammunition.

At the same time, he was charged with another count of possession of ammunition following an incident in August 2018, when fingerprints on a bag containing a tub of ammunition matched Mangawa’s prints.

At court he was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for the ammunition charges against him, to run concurrently to the six years he received for possession of a firearm.

Detective Chief Inspector Duncan Young said: “We have released this footage because we want to show the reality of what it’s really like to be arrested if you’re carrying a gun. We can’t take any chances if we receive a report that someone is carrying a gun – we don’t know if it’s live or non-viable, real or fake – so you will be approached by firearms officers in full kit and with live weapons.

“If you’re carrying a gun, or you’re hiding a gun at home or at a friend’s house, we’ll find it and we will put you before the courts. I cannot make it clear enough that carrying any kind of weapon is not acceptable. We have a dedicated team, Boson, who tackle gun and gang criminality, and we will continue to pursue those who try and cause harm to our communities.

“Please don’t carry a weapon for your own protection. If you have genuine concerns for your safety, talk to the police. By carrying a weapon you’re not only risking time in prison, you’re risking your own life.”

To watch the video, visit the Bedfordshire Police YouTube page.

Anyone with any information about guns or gang criminality is asked to call 101, or 999 if a crime is in progress. You can also call independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.