New Hampshire Firefighter Tackles Knife-Wielding Man

Sept. 15, 2008
A firefighter tackled a man accused of threatening rescue crews with an 8-inch knife.

MANCHESTER, N.H. --

A firefighter tackled a man accused of threatening rescue crews with an 8-inch knife.

Keith Cunningham, 48, was seen laying in the middle of Elm Street on Saturday at about 10:30 p.m. When firefighters arrived to determine if Cunningham was OK, he got up and walked away, authorities said.

One of the firefighters followed Cunningham and, police said, the incident became dangerous.

"Once the man brandished a knife, he then turned again and started to walk away, at which point, the firefighter was able to tackle him from behind and then pin him to the ground and hold him there until police arrived," Manchester police Lt. Maureen Tessier said.

Police charged Cunningham with a felony for threatening the firefighter. He remains in jail until a scheduled arraignment on Monday.

Copyright 2008 by wmur.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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