POLICE FEDERATION BRAVERY AWARDS 2026 THAMES VALLEY
WARWICKSHIRE PS Charlie Thompson tackled a man who threatened to set himself alight on a petrol station forecourt in Stratford-upon- Avon on 10 April 2025. The man had doused himself in petrol, coated a fuel pump in BBQ lighting gel and was holding a lighter, creating an extreme risk of a catastrophic fire. PS Thompson was among the first on scene and immediately engaged the man, trying to build rapport while keeping him away from the pumps. As negotiators and fire crews prepared for the worst, the man’s behaviour became increasingly volatile. When it became clear the incident could not be resolved peacefully, a pre- planned intervention was authorised. PS Thompson removed his PPE for mobility, seized a moment of distraction and sprinted forward, tackling the man to the ground. Drenched in petrol and fighting to stop the lighter being
ignited, he restrained the man as colleagues moved in, and fire extinguishers were deployed. The lighter was secured and the man safely detained.
WEST MIDLANDS A routine welfare check in Walsall in February 2024 turned into a life-threatening incident when Police Sergeant Mitchell Bull and colleagues approached a car parked suspiciously in Reservoir Place. The driver appeared asleep
PC Andy Kemp confronted a group of masked intruders at his home in the early hours of 15 May 2024. He was asleep with his wife and two sons when neighbours
alerted him to four masked men trying to access his unmarked police van. Moments later, he saw the men attempting to break into his garage. Dressed only in a T-shirt and shorts, he went outside to confront them. As the suspects tried to flee over an eight foot fence, PC Kemp grabbed one of them and was immediately attacked by the others. He was stabbed in the face, arm and body, and struck repeatedly with a metal bar, yet refused to let the suspect go despite threats to stab him again. Bleeding heavily, he managed to reach his police dog kennel and released his Belgian Malinois, Astle, who helped detain the suspect while the others escaped. His teenage son Rhys also ran outside to help his father during the struggle. PC Kemp continued restraining the suspect until officers arrived, despite multiple serious injuries.
24 | POLICE | JUNE | 2026
and showed signs of drug use. When PS Bull attempted to detain him under the Misuse of Drugs Act, the man suddenly accelerated, trapping PS Bull between the suspect’s car and the police vehicle while crushing his leg in the door. Another officer was also pinned and seriously injured. Despite intense pain and being dragged along the road as the driver reversed, PS Bull freed himself and managed to deploy his Taser as the offender tried to flee. Injured and struggling to move, he immediately turned his attention to his colleague, helping provide first aid until medical support arrived. He suffered significant injuries requiring weeks off work, while his colleague’s injuries were so severe he will be medically retired.
WEST YORKSHIRE PS Mark Priestley, PC Hisham Riordan, PC Umair Khan and PC Andrew Batty (pictured at the top of page 25) confronted an armed murder suspect in Dewsbury in July 2025. PS Priestley and PC Riordan were first to locate the man, who was highly agitated, armed with a large kitchen knife and threatening to kill. With the town centre busy on a Saturday evening, they placed themselves between him and the public, holding their ground as he advanced on them with stabbing motions.
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