Witness in the newly surfaced footage, Britain’s infamous convict Charles Bronson, as he confronts a squad of 15 police officers, providing a glimpse into the type of behavior that earned him the distinction of being one of the UK’s most long-standing inmates. Observe the extraordinary scenes for yourself below.
In just a matter of days, Bronson will be the focus of a public Parole Board hearing in which a panel will determine whether the 70-year-old inmate is fit for release. Ultimately the decision will be down to those on the board, but a Channel 4 documentary titled Bronson: Fit to be Free? attempts to answer that same question. The documentary, which is available to stream now, features interviews with Bronson as well as some of the people closest to him, the victims of his crimes and footage from his life. Bronson’s efforts to take on multiple guards is just one of the insights given in the documentary, and shows the moment Bronson provoked the officers by wiggling his naked body around in the corridor while the officers grouped together facing him.
Despite the officers preparing to subdue him, the prisoner displayed no fear and continued to wiggle his hips in defiance, only stopping when he was hit with purple tear gas.
The dramatic scene concluded with Bronson being overpowered by the officers, while the grandiose sounds of Handel’s ‘Zadok the Priest’ played in the background.
In the documentary, Bronson shares details of his arrival at the high-security HMP Parkhurst during the 1970s, following his conviction for armed robbery. While there, he encountered infamous figures such as the Kray twins and the masterminds of the Great Train Robbery, all the while building a reputation as a violent inmate.