A 24-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday afternoon near Santa Catalina Park in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, after reportedly insulting and threatening several women and brandishing a large knife.
The incident occurred at approximately 6:00p.m. on Calle Simón Bolívar and Calle Nicolás Estévanez, where the suspect was said to have followed several women, shouted verbal abuse at them, and attempted to dispose of a 25-centimetre knife before trying to flee from police.
Local Police officers swiftly apprehended the man, believed to be a Moroccan national, who was not carrying any form of identification at the time of his arrest, and a witness assisted officers in retrieving the discarded knife.
One woman reported that the man had approached her in an aggressive manner and insulted her appearance. During his arrest, the suspect also hurled insults at the police and claimed to be residing on Las Alcaravaneras beach.
The incident has drawn criticism from the Independent Trade Union and Civil Servants' Centre (CSIF), which condemned the Las Palmas City Council for failing to adequately equip the police force.
According to the union, officers continue to operate without up-to-date protective equipment or access to essential electronic devices such as tasers. At present, only three tasers are available for the entire Local Police force, none of which are issued to officers on street patrol.
