2024 POLICE BRAVERY AWARDS


The team at North Wales


been moved to a neighbouring property by members of the public, who had also managed to lock one of the dogs away, which had calmed down, inside the house. PC O’Brien was told the other dog, which was exhibiting extremely aggressive behaviour and was totally out of control, was still in a garden with the injured woman. Making a quick assessment, he left the young girl with colleagues so he could locate the dog and the second victim, who was bleeding heavily from her injuries. Officers needed to get to her to provide emergency first aid, so he climbed over the fence and entered the garden, placing himself in a position of significant danger. The only items he had to try to protect the victim and himself, and control the dangerous dog, were a dog pole and PSU shield. He was still at significant risk of harm because the out-of-control dog was running around and was itself badly injured as a result of members of the public trying to halt its attack. The dog was extremely aggressive and unpredictable. He


placed himself between the injured woman and the dangerous dog, creating a sterile area allowing other officers to provide emergency first aid and remove the victim to a place of safety. He managed to secure the dog using the dog pole and was able to move it further away from the victim and officers, ensuring their safety and enabling the evacuation of the casualty. Both victims were taken to hospital with serious injuries which were later thankfully confirmed as not life changing.


NORTHUMBRIA An off-duty officer kept hold of a violent individual to protect the public until backup could arrive, despite being relentlessly attacked. Off duty and enjoying his down time, the officer was disturbed by a commotion in his street.


28 | POLICE | JUNE | 2024 The officer went to see what was causing the noise and found


an extremely aggressive individual trying to break the windows of a house with a rock. He understood immediately this was a domestic incident and, in his experience, knew this would escalate rapidly. He called 999 while the man disappeared to the back of the house only to reappear with a plant pot which he used to smash through a window. At this point, he knew he had to intervene. He advised the caller handler of his intention. As the PC approached the house, the individual was out of sight - but upon entering the garden the man jumped up and violently attacked him, punching his with all his force in the face, breaking his nose. He had no time to identify himself as a police officer. The fight continued and he was repeatedly punched as he struggled to control the man before he saw a member of the public walk past. He shouted for help and for her to call the police, but not wanting to get involved, and with him not clearly identifiable as a police officer, the woman walked on. The man managed to break free of the attempts to control


him, at which point the PC identified himself as a police officer. This appeared to enrage the individual further who then ripped his own shirt off and continued his assault on him with more rage, repeatedly punching and grabbing at him. After 10 minutes of this violent assault police officers arrived


and had to resort to Taser to gain control of the individual and safely detain him. The PC sustained a broken nose, ribs and bruising but still turned in for ‘earlies’ the next morning, although he was promptly sent home due to his state.


NORTH WALES A team of unarmed officers (pictured above) faced an aggressive man with a loaded gun, who was putting his vulnerable mother’s


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