Latest news with #2025BraveryAward
BBC News
28-04-2025
- BBC News
Milton Keynes police officers get bravery awards over knife attack
Two police officers who tackled a knifeman who was attacking a family have been honoured with bravery Sophie McDiarmid and Sgt Chris Smith responded to a call that said a man was threatening members of the public on Savoy Crescent in central Milton Keynes at about 21:30 GMT on 3 February the pair were on their way, it was declared a firearms incident, but the two officers only carried a taser and it was ineffective, so they had to physically restrain officers have been recognised with a Thames Valley Police Federation 2025 Bravery Award, which they will officially receive this Thursday. When they got there, PC McDiarmid recalled: "We saw the man physically lunging at a group of people and with the knife, towards a young child."Chris said 'pull up short, I'm going to run at him'. Both of us jumped out of the car and heard a piercing scream from a woman."They ran towards the man and Sgt Smith used his taser twice, but it had limited the help of two members of the public, they then tackled the man was arrested and PC McDiarmid provided medical care to the said: "I was concerned he could have a stab wound as he was going in and out of consciousness and wasn't making any sense."The 19-year-old knifeman was jailed for 11 years. 'Well deserved' PC McDiarmid said they had had to react quickly without thinking of the consequences, and she was "shocked" to receive the award."If you start thinking, you'll hesitate, which means you're not going to deal with what you need to deal with," she said."Initially I just thought we were in the right place at the right time and did what every other officer would have done."But when you start talking with people, especially non-police friends, they're like, 'Are you OK? You've just run at someone who'd got a knife'."Sgt Smith said that having "stopped a family of three, enjoying a night out, from being murdered was reward enough".Their local Police Federation chairwoman Aileen O'Connor added the pair were "incredibly brave" and "very deserving" of the Police Federation is a professional association that represents officers up to the rank of chief inspector. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
25-04-2025
- BBC News
Thames Valley Police officer who pulled man from M40 honoured
An off-duty police officer who dragged an injured man from a busy lane of a motorway has been honoured with a bravery Valley Police's PC Henry Johnson was travelling home on the M40 from a shift in Maidenhead at 07:00 GMT on 14 January 2023 when the incident pulled over as he saw the man jump from a bridge on to the carriageway, before pulling him away from traffic on to the hard shoulder and providing first has been recognised with a Thames Valley Police Federation 2025 Bravery Award, which he will officially receive next week. Recalling the events, PC Johnson said it had been "raining, freezing cold and pitch black".He said he slowed down as he saw the man walking on a bridge because "something told me that it didn't look right"."My police intuition made me slow down, so I could see his face and see if he was alright." 'Life-saving hero' The man ignored PC Johnson's shouts to him, before climbing over the barrier and jumping on to the busy Johnson, who by this time had stopped and called his colleagues for support, ran into lane one, took hold of the man - who was seriously injured - and dragged him to safety."We were on the hard shoulder, with lorries whizzing past us," he said."I had to keep myself low down, and I just kept updating the control room and waited for officers to get there."Following the arrival of police and paramedics, the man was taken to hospital, where he remained for more than a month whilst Johnson said he felt "honoured" to receive the award."Loads of officers do really amazing things every day, but I always think that I just did what every other officer would do in that situation," he Valley Police Federation chair Aileen O'Connor added that PC Johnson was a "life-saving hero" who was "incredibly brave". You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
