A Polícia de Segurança Pública (PSP) clarified on Thursday that the traffic altercation that occurred earlier this month in the Alvalade district of Lisbon, which ended with a man unconscious, involved another suspect with an iron bar who has not been identified. The incident took place on June 4, leading to the arrest of a 59-year-old man on suspicion of possessing a prohibited weapon, as outlined in a statement from the Lisbon Metropolitan Command’s Traffic Division.
During the altercation, two men engaged in a traffic dispute, prompting intervention from an off-duty police officer and a prison guard who happened to be at the scene. The man wielding a knife was intercepted by the PSP officer, who fired a warning shot into the air, and by the prison guard, who rendered the man unconscious with a punch.
Footage of the incident, which may be disturbing, emerged on social media this week.
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
The officer was in his private vehicle en route to work when he encountered a traffic blockade and noted that drivers were continuously honking in protest. Upon exiting his vehicle, the officer realized the situation involved a heated traffic dispute between two drivers, each posing a serious threat of violence with a weapon. In an attempt to safeguard all involved and prevent criminal activity, he identified himself clearly and audibly as a police officer, demanding the men drop their weapons. One was holding a knife, and the other an iron bar, according to the PSP report.
A prison guard at the location recognized the seriousness of the situation and assisted the officer.
While focusing on the man with the knife, the other driver, who was holding the iron bar for self-defense, got into his vehicle and reversed, fleeing the scene without being identified. Meanwhile, the other suspect, visibly agitated and wielding the knife toward the officer, disregarded all commands.
The Lisbon Metropolitan Command’s statement noted that due to the suspect’s aggressive and uncooperative behavior, marked by abrupt movements with the knife, the officer resorted to firing a warning shot into the air to halt the threat, which proved effective.
At that moment, the prison guard managed to take the suspect to the ground with the officer’s help, securing the man until reinforcements arrived and neutralizing the threat immediately.
The defendant sustained minor injuries and received on-site medical attention from emergency services. He has been summoned to appear at the Lisbon Small Crime Court.
