Armed police storm home after reports of a man getting tortured.
Armed police surrounded a London home after reports of a man begging for his life. Ultimately, it ended up being two actors who had been rehearsing an emotional scene for a West End audition.
Aspiring actor Simon Gordon was preparing for a role with fellow actor and roommate Joel Harper-Jackson at their home in south-east London when they heard a knock on the door.
Just had a knock at the door from the armed police. 15 men with automatic assault rifles surrounding our house,… https://t.co/LvvYuIG1gw
— Simon Gordon (@SiGordon) September 17, 2015
In a post on Facebook, Gordon said he found “15 men with automatic assault rifles surrounding our house, plus a few casual snipers in the garden. Police had reports that there was a firearm at this address and that someone was pleading for their life. Turns out the neighbours overheard Joel Harper-Jackson and I rehearsing a scene for an audition tomorrow.” Gordon was preparing for an audition for the character Gerry Goffin, in the upcoming West End musical Beautiful at the Aldwych theatere, which Harper-Jackson is starring in. “If I don’t get the job now at least we’ll have a story for the Graham Norton couch eh?” he wrote. He later joked on Twitter that he would have found it difficult to explain to his talent agent if he had been arrested and missed the audition.
If i’d been locked up my 1 phone call would have been to lovely @wintersons …’uhh i wont be making that audition’ https://t.co/LaGK5CpWU0
— Simon Gordon (@SiGordon) September 18, 2015
Gordon explained that the police were initially very hostile until they realized the mistake.“We got a really aggressive knock at the door,” he told the Evening Standard. “Joel opened it and there were five policemen with shields and massive guns. They were aggressive to begin with. My heart was racing. We felt really guilty for some reason – even though we knew we hadn’t done anything.”
Gordon later elaborated on the scene. He was evidently preparing for the role of the King’s songwriter husband. “It is quite a heated scene where the character breaks down,” he said. “It’s all in American accents. Our window must have been open. I can see how that can be misconstrued.”
A police spokesman said: “We called at 11.25pm following reports of a firearms incident. Armed officers attended. It transpired that there was no offence and no arrests were made. No firearm was found.”
