STV NewsA knife-wielding assailant was only stopped by officers after being run over, hit with batons, bitten by a police dog and had incapacitant spray used on him, a court heard.
Linas Luopas lashed out amid chaotic scenes near his home in Aberdeen in February last year.
The 29-year-old swung the large blade at officers after charging after them.
Police had been called to the scene after Luopas had earlier run towards another innocent man with the weapon while yelling: “So, who is getting it first?”
Luopas admitted to a total of five assault charges as he appeared in the dock at the High Court in Glasgow.
STV NewsThe incident sparked concern at the time after it emerged an armed response vehicle had been deployed that day, but not given authorisation to move in.
The subsequent actions of the officers at the scene were commented upon by both Judge Lord Scott and Luopas’s lawyer.
The latter claimed: “Police are not simply to be unleashed to do violence with the tools they are equipped with.”
Police incident
Prosecutor John Keenan KC told how Luopas had been seen in an “agitated state” on February 28 last year.
A witness was walking in Aberdeen’s Ardarroch Road when an armed Luopas came sprinting at him.
The man immediately dropped to the ground to protect himself and tried to crawl away.
Luopas eventually made off after a witness shouted at him.
Officers were soon on the scene and spotted the attacker. He tried to yank open a police car and also struck the vehicle with the knife.
A police sergeant got out, and Luopas went at him, clutching the weapon in the air. He also turned on a second sergeant.
Mr Keenan: “[An officer] then drove the police vehicle at Luopas in an attempt to separate him from a [sergeant].
“Luopas was struck, knocked to the ground, but immediately stood up again and continued to brandish the knife.”
He chased after the sergeant, but did not connect with the knife.
Mr Keenan added: “[A police officer] again drove the vehicle at Luopas, which caused him to come onto the bonnet before falling to the ground.
“He then quickly got to his feet, walked towards (another officer), who discharged a taser, which connected, but was ineffective.”
Police ScotlandAn unmarked police car – driven by a detective constable – then tried to pin Luopas’s leg against a wall.
The assailant was momentarily stopped – but then walked off clutching the blade.
He was still not halted after the police PAVA spray was used.
The detective constable failed to disarm him but was struck, causing a hole in his jumper.
Another sergeant released police dog Zeus, who sank his teeth into Luopas’ arm.
Mr Keenan: “The taser was discharged again, which caused him to stumble. Police were able to disarm him with a baton, and he was restrained by several officers.”
Lithuanian Luopas later said he had wanted a firearms unit to attend “so they would shoot him as he felt the system was failing him”.
The court heard the officers escaped any injury other than a minor cut on a detective constable’s arm.
Luopas had a broken toe, bruises, and swelling.
The court heard he has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and is currently in a clinic at the Murray Royal Hospital in Perth.
He had been accused of the attempted murder of three of the officers before his guilty pleas to the reduced charges were accepted.
‘The police are not simply to be unleashed to do violence’
Lord Scott was shown a mobile phone clip of the incident captured that day.
He went on to comment: “Clearly a frightening incident… I have to say I have not seen police vehicles used in the way that they were here.
“I do wonder and slightly worry about use of a vehicle in the way that it happened here.”
The judge said he was not aware whether it was a “recognised” police tactic to stop an offender.
Mark Stewart KC, defending, went on to comment that he was not suggesting police “put themselves at risk”.
But, he also told the hearing: “He was struck three times by police cars, he was tasered on two occasions, he was struck repeatedly and vigorously by multiple police officers using batons raised above their heads.
“He was subjected to PAVA spray and a police dog allowed to bite him.
“I take into account, in saying that, the police response to a threat from the public.
“The police are not simply to be unleashed to do violence with the tools they are equipped with, without thought for the consequences.
“Their response as trained officers trusted with weapons should be proportionate.”
Responding to the KC’s comments, prosecutor Mr Keenan stated officers had been dealing with someone who had “remained armed”, and they reacted with batons “in order to secure that weapon”.
Lord Scott then further remarked that what officers did may have “effectively been a spontaneous reaction to a threat” and that officers were “put on the spot”.
Following the incident, Police Scotland at the time said “specialist tactics” were used to protect the public and the officers.
The Scottish Police Federation (SPF) stated an armed response vehicle had been called to the scene – as per protocol for a knife incident – but that it did not receive authorisation to take action.
They said officers already there had to take matters into their own hands by driving the car at the man, which the SPF said it had concerns about.
David Kennedy, from the SPF, reportedly said in March 2025: “My understanding is officers were called to attend as was the armed response vehicle.
“At some point, officers, who were on the scene, dealt with it as well as they could from using their own safety techniques.
“There was an armed response vehicle nearby, waiting to be authorised, but it was not.”
Luopas remains in hospital as the case was adjourned until next month.
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