Cop Clings to Bonnet as Gunman Rams Car in Tottenham Chase
An armed police officer told a court he feared for his life after a suspected gunman sped at him in a desperate escape bid. PC Crowder ended up clutching the bonnet of a speeding black Mercedes as 26-year-old Aydin Altun tried to flee north London police.
‘I Thought I Was Going to Die’
The drama unfolded after PC Crowder and colleagues attempted to arrest Altun, wanted for firing a gun in Tottenham just 24 hours earlier. When officers ordered Altun to step out at gunpoint, he slammed the accelerator instead, hurtling towards Crowder.
“I was thrown onto the bonnet of the car. I remember being scared for my life; I thought I was going to die,” PC Crowder told the Old Bailey. “If this car was going to crash, I was going to die.”
“I do remember my hand touching where the bonnet meets the windscreen.”
Flung onto the concrete, Crowder was dazed and heavily bleeding. Meanwhile, Altun sped off and later abandoned the Mercedes in a Tottenham driveway.
Digital Evidence & Family Drama
- Officers had been briefed with photos of Altun and his father before the chase.
- Bodycam footage captured Crowder identifying Altun as the driver, even as he lay barely conscious on the ground.
- Altun’s sister, Hamin, called police to report the stolen Mercedes missing.
- Prosecutors revealed the car contained code like a SIM card, tracking its whereabouts near Fairfax Road and Edmonton on the night of the shooting.
- Phone data showed Aydin Altun’s handset and the Mercedes were in the same location simultaneously.
- The car key was found in a handbag belonging to Altun’s mother, Sutan Altun.
Charges Laid as Trial Continues
Aydin Altun, from Suffolk Road, Tottenham, denies attempted murder, grievous bodily harm, firearm possession with intent, and having a 9mm without a licence. His mother Sutan and sister Hamin also deny charges of attempting to pervert justice.
The gripping trial continues at the Old Bailey.
