2024 POLICE BRAVERY AWARDS
REGIONAL WINNER 5
Hampshire Police
PS David Gibbs and PCs Tim Clarkson, Nathan Fulton, Emma Davies, Scott Thomson with Home Secretary Rt Hon Yvette Cooper
PCs Emma Davies, Tim Clarkson, Nathan Fulton and Scott Thomson, and PS David Gibbs
The team of heroic officers risked their lives to detain a man carrying an explosive device. PCs Emma Davies and Tim Clarkson
attended an address, looking to detain a wanted male.
They found the man, but he would not let them into the building and would not engage, so back up was called with PS David Gibbs, PC Nathan Fulton and PC Scott Thomson soon arriving on scene. PC Davies went around the back of the property in case the suspect fled in that direction. Gaining entry into the hallway, they were faced by the suspect holding a handgun to his head and a handheld battery pack and detonator, with wires leading to two ‘man bags’ across his body.
They knew they had to use their communications skills to talk the man down and seek his cooperation to deescalate the perilous situation, however, calls to get him to drop the weapon failed. The subject raised his hand and
detonated the device whilst pointing the gun at the officers. Sparks and toxic smoke instantly filled the air. Thankfully, the Taser deployed by PCs Clarkson and Thomson was effective and he was incapacitated on the floor, before being dragged out of the property. Acting courageously and without a thought for their own safety, the officers risked their lives in trying to disarm him of both the firearm and the lethal, smoking device, but whilst doing so in the struggle he reached for the second bag around his body. Fearing an explosion from a second device, they quickly gained control of him using two pairs of handcuffs to overcome
the suspect’s strength.
The smoking device was cut off him and kicked away by PC Thomson, before PC Clarkson moved it away onto a grass verge in a more remote location and cordoned off the area. PC Davies then promptly used a fire extinguisher to cool it down. This incident was so serious that the explosive ordnance disposal attended the scene confirming the self-made improvised, viable explosive device contained a bottle full of broken glass and metal ball bearings which could act as shrapnel. Thankfully the bomb did not detonate properly, but they confirmed there could have been serious injuries, if not fatalities, and the use of Taser hindered his attempts to detonate the device. PC Clarkson said: “Ultimately you go through that door to arrest someone not knowing what’s behind it. I am thankful nobody got hurt and it was a good end.”
19 | POLICE | AUGUST | 2024
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