Chris Walker, a resident of Thornbridge Avenue in Great Barr, has described the moment he witnessed a horrific attack on a teenage schoolboy and rushed to provide life-saving first aid. The 15-year-old victim collapsed with blood pouring from a neck wound, believed to have been caused by a glass bottle, shortly after the end of the school day on Friday, July 10, at around 3.30pm.
Attack Unfolds in Seconds
Walker, who lives opposite the scene, saw a masked boy on a scooter call over a group of about 10 youths from nearby Arena Academy. “Then it went off within a second or two. There was screaming and shouting,” he said. He saw a glass bottle thrown, which cut the boy on the neck, and the victim dropped to the road.
“He was not in a good way. I wanted to get over and help him and make sure he stayed alive,” Walker told reporters. With 17 years of first aid training from his time working at a leisure centre, he knew what to do.
First Aid and Police Response
Walker used an old jacket given by a bystander to apply pressure to the gash and stop the bleeding. The boy was convulsing, and Walker kept him conscious by saying, “Don’t shut your eyes, look into my eyes.” He also lifted the boy’s leg to aid blood flow and cleared the crowd to give him air.
Police arrived quickly, and an officer took over first aid. A teacher from Arena Academy later thanked Walker for his actions. The boy was taken to hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening.
Personal Tragedy Motivates Rescue
Walker revealed he lost his son Joshua, 27, to adult heart syndrome. “I was determined this boy would not suffer the fate my son did,” he said. He praised Birmingham as a good area with amazing people but called for more constructive activities to steer youngsters away from knife crime and violence.
“I’d like to teach some of this younger generation a skill – I’m a car detailer. I’d do it for nothing. Get them into doing something more constructive in the future,” he added.
Arrests and Investigation
West Midlands Police initially arrested a 15-year-old boy on suspicion of violent disorder. Two further teenage boys, aged 14 and 15, were also arrested. All three have been bailed while investigations continue. A police spokesman confirmed the victim’s injuries were not life-threatening.
