POLICE FEDERATION BRAVERY AWARDS 2026 CUMBRIA


the immediate threat to life and acted without hesitation. She discharged her Taser through the gap, creating a brief window to intervene. PC Anderson then removed her protective vest, squeezed through the narrow opening and entered the flat. As the man resumed harming himself, she re-energised the Taser, moved in, disarmed him and secured the knife.


With the weapon removed, she immediately began


lifesaving first aid, stabilising the man until further officers and medical support arrived.


PCs Heather Watson and Matthew Johnston survived a violent and unprovoked knife attack while responding to a call for help from a vulnerable woman. They attended the home of a 26-year-old woman who had


reported an assault. PC Watson had visited the address the previous day to offer support and ensure her safety. While PC Johnston stepped into another room to contact the mental health crisis team, he suddenly heard PC Watson scream. He rushed back to find the woman attacking his colleague with a kitchen knife. PC Watson had been stabbed in the face and was bleeding heavily. Acting instantly, PC Johnston fought to restrain the assailant, who violently resisted and attempted to stab him as well. Despite her serious injuries, PC Watson continued to defend


herself, deploying incapacitant spray and calling urgently for backup. Together, the officers managed to force the attacker into a separate room and secure her until additional units arrived. PC Watson sustained significant facial injuries just two weeks before her wedding. The attacker was later sentenced to 52 months in prison.


DEVON & CORNWALL Four police officers faced freezing, fast-flowing flood water in a desperate attempt to save a woman trapped beneath a bridge are being commended for their exceptional courage during a tragic incident in Cornwall. At around 10.30am on 15 December 2025, a 63-year-old woman was jogging with a friend when she slipped into a swollen stream. Heavy rainfall had turned the normally shallow waterway into a powerful torrent, pulling her under a small bridge and pinning her against a drainage pipe. Her running partner dialled 999 while trying to keep her


DERBYSHIRE PC Louisa Anderson put herself in significant danger to save a man’s life.


In summer 2025, she


attended a warrant execution with a colleague. When officers received no response at the flat, they began drilling the lock to gain entry. The door rebounded, revealing it had been barricaded. As they forced a narrow gap, they saw the occupant inside repeatedly stabbing himself. Through the small opening, PC Anderson could clearly see


the man inflicting severe injuries. Drawing on her experience as a former Combat Medic with the Royal Army Medical Corps and her advanced firearms medical training, she recognised


14 | POLICE | JUNE | 2026


head above water. PS Katie Jordan (top) and PC A were first on scene and immediately entered the icy water, wading in up to their waists as they tried to free her. The suction from the pipe made it impossible to move her. Above them, PCs Jess Lawry (above) and PC B knelt on the flooded bridge to support the woman from above as the cold rapidly sapped everyone’s strength. The woman, whose body


temperature had dropped dangerously low, soon became unconscious and stopped breathing. The officers remained in the water for around 10 minutes,


refusing to leave her side despite the risk of being dragged


into the second pipe themselves. Fire crews arrived shortly afterwards and used specialist water rescue equipment to free the woman. The officers were pulled from the water and, although extremely cold, did not require medical treatment. Tragically, despite the combined efforts of police, fire and medical teams, the woman could not be saved.


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