WANTED man Dean Goodwin has been arrested in Poole.

Police thanked the Daily Echo for its publicity over the manhunt which ended in his arrest.

The 32-year-old has been wanted by police in relation to a rape since last Friday and was tracked down by armed police.

Exclusive: Goodwin also being quizzed on suspicion of attempted murder

Goodwin was arrested in Bournemouth road at 5.45pm and is being held at Bournemouth police station.

Detective Superintendent Mark Cooper, head of Dorset’s Major Crime Team, said: “I would like to thank the public and the media for their help and support throughout this intensive police operation.

“Our officers and staff have worked tirelessly and I’m pleased we’ve been able to bring this to a safe conclusion with the arrest of Dean Goodwin.”

Eyewitnesses said three officers had been laying in wait for an hour when Goodwin ran past the Shell garage in Bournemouth Road.

They ran across the road after him as he went to get into a Peugeot 206 that had a woman inside and officers were heard shouting: “Armed police, get down.”

The eyewitnesses said as he passed the Sainsbury’s Local and got into the car outside Foysals Indian take-away three police officers managed to get him out of the vehicle and grapple him to the ground. Amid the mayhem staff at the Halfway Fish Bar yards away locked the doors to protect the families with children inside.

A five-month pregnant woman was treated by paramedics after suffering a panic attack on the garage forecourt.

 

@bournemouthecho #deangoodwin pinned down and arrested ... yfrog.com/gyugoxmj

— Laila Safaee (@LailaSafaee) November 27, 2012


 

Friends Dan Stevens and Edward George, 20, said Goodwin had been tailed by officers in unmarked cars.

Mr Stevens said Goodwin didn’t give up without a fight, battling against the three officers who held him on the floor for 15 minutes.

“There was a big struggle when they were trying to get him off the ground where they were holding him,” the 23-year-old said. “He’d been cuffed at that point, and he’s a big stocky lad.

“They put him into what looked like a straight jacket and put an overall on top so you couldn’t see what he was wearing.”

Two BMW cars and a Volvo believed to be unmarked police cars pulled up when Goodwin arrived on Bournemouth Road at around 5.45pm.

Mr George, said “it all kicked off,” with Goodwin “fighting it quite hard”. He said: “It was a bit of a shock – we can’t believe it.”

Keith Telling, sales assistant at the Shell garage, said: “I heard ‘armed police get down’ and saw him being bundled down in front of the take-away after he ran past.”

A member of staff at Top Wok said he saw Goodwin get into the car before the police descended.

“They pulled him out of the car and took the woman away as well. I’m not sure whether she was with him.”