Two Armed Raiders Killed in Shoot-out with police
Police marksmen shot dead two armed robbers and wounded another yesterday, after a chase through North London. The three men had sprayed bullets and gunshots at the police officers, wounding one in the ankle, in their attempt to escape after an unsuccessful raid on a post-office. It was the fourth occasion in two years that police have shot dead armed robbers. Commander John O’Connor said that his officers had acted ‘correctly and courageously’. They had prevented any members of the public from getting hurt in the gun battle. The incident has been justified by police as the inevitable response to armed robbery.
The incident began just before 9 a.m. when the three men, who the police suspected of specializing in ramming security vehicles, pushed a steel girder out of the back of their van and, reversing at high speed, used it as a battering ram to smash through the rear doors of the post office. Although the three, in balaclavas and motorcycle helmets, got into the post office, they failed to reach the area where the valuables were kept. They had chosen the wrong doors. They abandoned their attempt at robbery and drove off in a stolen car. Police who had been secretly observing them, gave chase but the robbers abandoned the car after driving into a side-street. Commander O’Connor said that the robbers then tried what he described as ‘a classic ploy’. They ran down an alleyway so that the police car could not follow them. The alley leads to a footbridge over a railway line and they had left a getaway car on the other side of the bridge. When the robbers got on to the bridge they opened fire. Commander O’Connor said, ‘My officers shouted a warning ‘Armed police! Drop your weapons and surrender!’ but the robbers continued firing and police officers returned fire.’ He denied suggestions that officers were waiting for the men and ‘staking out’ the stolen getaway car. The robbers continued firing, spraying bullets everywhere. In all, about thirty shots were fired. Some bullets hit parked cars and spent cartridges still littered the scene several hours later.
Mr Paul Duego, who lives nearby, said, ‘During the shooting, one old man was right in the middle of it. He turned back and said, ‘What are they doing – are they shooting a film?’ He was completely oblivious to what was really happening.’ Tony Dewsnapp, aged 48, a married man, died at the scene. James Farrel, 52, also married, died in hospital. The third man, who has not been named, has shoulder and leg wounds but is not in a serious condition. The robbers were armed with a sawn-off shotgun, a Colt 45 revolver and a Luger pistol. Commander O’Connor said that the police regretted incidents involving loss of life and extended sympathy to the dead men’s families.
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· Find a word or phrase in the text that in context has a similar meaning to:
1. men who shoot accurately
2. bravely
3. unavoidable reaction
4. crashing into
5. large metal bar
6. going backwards
7. gave up
8. narrow street
9. started shooting
10. watching and waiting
11. unaware
12. were sorry about
13. offered
· Answer the following questions. You will have to ‘read between the lines’ to produce some answers.
1. What incident happened in North London?
2. Were the police justified in using guns?
3. How did the robbers prepare for the raid?
4. How did they feel when they got into the post office?
5. What did the robbers say to each other when they were inside the post office?
6. How did the robbers react when they saw the police?
7. How much did the police know in advance?
8. Where were the armed police? Describe their actions. Why did they have to shoot the robbers?
9. Describe the reactions of the old man.
10. What were the consequences of the shooting?
· Find English equivalents to the following words and word combinations.
1. не допустить, чтобы пострадал кто-нибудь из людей
2. неизбежный ответ на вооруженное ограбление
3. специализироваться на ч-л.
4. разворачиваться на большой скорости
5. ценности
6. отказаться от попытки ограбления
7. броситься в погоню
8. классическая уловка
9. сдаться
10. отрицать предположения
11. всего (в итоге, в целом)
12. cнимать кино
13. cовершенно не осознавал, что происходило на самом деле
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14. сожалеть о том, что инцидент повлек за собой гибель людей
15. выразить соболезнование семьям погибших
· Summarize the text.
· Read the two articles on the issue of bus – related vandalism
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