Unarmed police officers in the UK should be prepared to “run over” terrorist suspects, a sergeant responsible for catching the Boston Marathon bombers has said.
Speaking to the Centre for Public Safety, Sgt Jeff Pugliese said officers must be prepared to “do what it takes” to catch potential terrorists.
He said: “I’m not trying to be heartless or anything like that, but number one you have to do what you have to do to survive. I don’t care what you do.
“If that means that individual is out in the street with a firearm, run them over, that’s a deadly weapon, run them over.”
The comments came as the Metropolitan Police Federation revealed one in four Londoners believed officers should be armed.
Some 75 per cent of those asked said Met Police officers should carry Tasers.
The Centre for Public Safety's Director, Rory Geoghegan added: "At present, 95 per cent of Britain's police - if confronted by a determined terrorist attacker armed with an axe, knife or gun - have no effective means of defending themselves and the public.
"If a knife or gunman is on the loose, and armed backup is five or ten minutes away, our unarmed bobbies need to know that they are supported in running them over - to stop the killing and maiming.
"We are fortunate to have some of the world's finest security services and a world-leading counter-terrorism effort, but the fear of many is that we remain ill-prepared for the sort of terror that has been visited upon the streets of Paris, Nice, Brussels, Boston and elsewhere."