Essex Police officers who chased and apprehended an armed robber with a 3ft blade recognised for bravery

Two Essex Police officers who chased and apprehended an armed robber who was trying to attack them with a 3-foot blade have won an Essex Police Federation Bravery Award.

PC Dave Moon – pictured – and a colleague, who has asked not to be identified, showed amazing courage to track down the dangerous offender and arrest him without being physically injured.

Even though the man tried to stab them.

The colleagues will now join colleagues from across the county to be celebrated at the first ever Essex Police Federation Bravery Awards in September.

It was in June 2019 in Harlow that the pair got the call that an armed robbery had occurred at a takeaway pizza restaurant – intelligence indicated that this was a dangerous man that the duo had encountered before.

An aerial search by the police helicopter revealed the man on a bicycle on a footpath. As the officers drove up to him, it appeared that the blade he had used in the attack was tucked into the waistband of his trousers.

PC Moon said: “He was a massive risk to the public. He was frightened, because he’s committed the armed robbery and we know what he’s got on him. So that’s where I made the decision to mount the curb and block him with the police car.”

The offender rammed his bike into the front of the car to try to stop PC Moon getting out – as the officer got out of the car, the suspect drew the 3 foot blade with the intention of stabbing the officer.

PC Moon’s colleague got out of the passenger side and started shouting “Taser, Taser!” – because of the offender’s actions and that he would not stop, the second officer Tasered him. Later in the police interview the suspect said that if he hadn’t been Tasered he would have gone through with his intentions and stabbed PC Moon.

PC Moon, who has been an officer for 19 years, said that his colleague “saved my life.” He added: “Without a shadow of a doubt, if my colleague had not been as switched on and used his Taser as quickly as he had, I could have had a large blade in my neck”.

The officers arrested the man and thankfully sustained no injuries. He was incarcerated for a year.

PC Moon said: “My colleague did a cracking job that night. We knew this male was dangerous, we knew he had a large blade on him. But from our point of view, it’s what you do for the job. It’s what we signed up for. You want to protect the public against people like him.”

Essex Police Federation Chair Laura Heggie said: “What a pair of heroes. This was a dangerous offender who had no qualms about using a very offensive weapon. And no qualms about using it against our colleagues.

“Both officers showed no fear and no shortage of courage in pursuing this violent individual who – if it hadn’t been for their tenacity and training – could have attempted to harm many other people.

“We’re very proud of their quick actions and bravery to detain this violent offender.”

PC Moon and his colleague will attend the Essex Police Federation Bravery Awards – which will combine celebrating the 2020 and 2021 winners – in Essex in September.

PC Moon added: “It’s really nice to win the Award. A lot of these things go unnoticed in policing… We do a dangerous job – to be recognised for actually putting ourselves out there, knowing full well who we’re going after is a dangerous, violent individual who’s displayed violence towards people, and for that to be recognised, I’m very proud of that.”

The Awards are in association with Uniform Mortgages.