Newcastle Defender Amar Dedic Briefly Stopped by Armed Police
Newcastle defender Amar Dedic was briefly stopped by armed police in Northumberland after being seen carrying a bow and arrows at a local beauty spot, in an incident that caused alarm but ended without charges or further action.
The 24-year-old Bosnia-Herzegovina international was with a friend when a member of the public raised concerns, prompting a significant police response. Six police cars, including armed units, were dispatched after reports of two men walking along a track by a reservoir on Military Road in the Harlow Hill area with what appeared to be archery equipment.
Officers later intercepted a vehicle in the Darras Hall area, around seven miles from where the pair were first spotted. The car was searched, and the bow and arrows were seized.
Police quickly established there was no wider danger.
Northumbria Police confirmed they had received reports of “two men carrying a bow and arrows while walking along a track by the reservoir” and said in a statement: “Officers attended and subsequently stopped a vehicle in the Darras Hall area and seized a bow and arrows. At this stage, it is understood they were for recreational use and there was no threat to the public.”
The force has not named Dedic, but BBC Sport understands the defender had no ill intention and fully cooperated with officers at the scene.
The episode drew further attention when Newcastle goalkeeper Mark Gillespie, 34, and former defender Paul Dummett, 35, arrived while police were still speaking to Dedic. The pair are understood to have been in the area by coincidence and stopped to offer assistance rather than being directly involved in the incident.
The timing adds an extra layer of scrutiny. The stop took place on Wednesday, just two days after Dedic featured in Newcastle’s 1-0 home defeat by Everton. The right-back only joined the club from Benfica in August for a fee in the region of £30m, part of a summer reshaping of Eddie Howe’s squad.
Newcastle, sitting 13th in the Premier League with 11 points from nine matches, have declined to comment. Inside the club, the focus remains on football, but any off-field episode involving a recent high-value signing inevitably draws attention in a season that has yet to catch fire.
Police enquiries are ongoing, though the tone of the force’s statement points firmly towards the matter being treated as a case of misjudged recreation rather than anything more sinister.
Newcastle travel to Fulham on Saturday at 15:00 GMT, their final outing before the November international break. How Dedic responds on the pitch after an unexpected brush with armed officers in rural Northumberland will be watched closely.
