A man was arrested for disobedience earlier this month in Lisbon after threatening another driver with a knife following a traffic argument and ignoring orders from a Public Security Police (PSP) officer and a prison guard who happened to be at the scene and intervened to protect bystanders.
Although the incident occurred weeks ago, it gained public attention on Wednesday after a video went viral on social media.
The altercation took place on June 4 at around 12:30 p.m. on Rua Jorge Colaço in Lisbon. Two drivers got into a dispute and stopped their vehicles. One emerged wielding a metal bar, while the other brandished a knife.
Condutor ameaça cidadão com faca, polícia que ia para o trabalho interviu ao ver a situação!#LiveAlentejano pic.twitter.com/0KIJEMXM8q
— 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗷𝗮𝗻𝗼 (@Alentej4n0) June 25, 2025
At that moment, a PSP officer on a motorcycle, on his way to the station, stopped, identified himself, and ordered the suspect to drop the knife. Shortly after, a prison guard also identified himself and attempted to assist the officer in calming the situation and intercepting the man with the knife.
“Drop the knife on the ground, drop it! Knife on the ground!” the PSP commanded, unsuccessfully.
Unable to make the suspect comply, the PSP fired a warning shot into the air. This distraction allowed the prison guard to punch the suspect, knocking him to the ground and rendering him unconscious.
Speaking to Notícias ao Minuto, the president of the Prison Guard Union, Frederico Morais, expressed pride in the guard for acting “by the book.”
“The lives of others in the public road were in danger. Both the PSP and the prison guard used their weapons as a means of intimidation. My colleague took advantage of the moment – he did not know the officer – to help. He secured his weapon when restraining the individual. This is how we teach in the Prison Guard Corps; it’s basic self-defense training, and after eight years without using this procedure, he still remembers. We feel proud to see one of ours act as they must,” praised Frederico Morais.
The suspect, who was immobilized by the guard’s punch, was transported to Hospital Santa Maria for observation and was arrested for disobedience following his discharge.
