Essex Police officers who saved the life of a dangerous suspect they were trying to arrest recognised bravery

TWO Essex Police officers whose quick thinking and brave actions saved the life of a dangerous suspect they were trying to arrest have won an Essex Police Federation Bravery Award.

PC Sam Saville and PC Deborah Williams – pictured – were working in the force’s Management of Sexual Offenders and Violent Offenders team in December 2018 when they were called to Basildon to arrest an offender.

PC Saville said: “A recall to prison was put together by probation, an incident was created and then sent off to police for us to go and attend. PC Williams and I saw it on our system one morning and because I knew of the offender – and I met him a few times – I said we’d take it out and go to arrest him.”

The two Essex Police officers and a member of the assisted premises staff – where the offender was staying – knocked on the man’s door and he replied that he’d be out in a minute when he got changed.

The officers waited a moment but then instinct kicked in and then got suspicious and asked the staff member to open the door. As they entered, they immediately saw that the man was sitting on the bed with a blade in his hand, already having cut both his wrists.

PC Saville said: “As we ran in there, he said to me, ‘I’m not going back to prison’. We grabbed hold of him and I managed to get the blade out of his hand. He was lying face down on the bed and there was more blood than I’ve ever seen in my life.”

PC Williams, who has been a police officer for 16 years, got a first aid kit and made a tourniquet to put on the man’s arms. PC Saville asked another staff member to get the bedding off the bed and use it as bandages.

The pair then realised the man had cut his neck too, so they wrapped bedding around his neck, all the time calling on the police radio for more assistance. Eventually, an ambulance arrived and the paramedics took over.

PC Saville, an officer for 15 years, said: “I’ve dealt with many people over the years for various injuries, and I was quite sure he was losing his life in front of us. And then the paramedics took over. He ended up going off to hospital and spent three or four days there, then was back in custody after that. We acted quite quickly, and I think our actions saved his life.

“We went to a job where we were going to arrest someone… but all of a sudden it turned 180 degrees on its head and we were dealing with not trying to get this person back into prison but to save their life.

“I feel quite proud of how we both acted. I’m proud of how we both handled the situation, and how we supported each other afterwards.”

The male survived the horrific injuries he had caused himself and following hospital treatment he was recalled to prison.

Essex Police Federation Chair Laura Heggie said: “Police officers never know what will happen when they attend an incident – there is no such thing as a routine job. It takes tremendous courage and bravery to open that door when the unknown awaits.

“This man had harmed himself. Could he have looked to harm them as well? Sam and Deborah would have had in their minds that this man could have turned the blade on them as they ran towards the danger.

“They handled this difficult, dynamic and escalating situation incredibly well and acted very quickly to use the skills they’d been taught to stay safe and save the man’s life. They are very worthy winners of an Essex Police Federation Bravery Award.”

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

The Awards are in association with Uniform Mortgages.