Essex Police officers who courageously fought off and arrested an armed man who was stabbing at them recognised for bravery

TWO Essex Police officers who courageously fought off and arrested an armed man who was stabbing at them with a hunting knife have been nominated for The Essex Police Federation Bravery Awards.

PC Daniel Brand and PC Jamie Cook were attending a concern for safety in plain clothes in April 2019 following reports that a young child was living at an address where drug dealing was taking place.

The pair arrived at the high rise flat in Southend but were unable to get an answer from the address. They approached a man who was nearby and asked if he lived there.

The man became very angry and erratic and began shouting at the officers, who attempted to calm him down. They reassured him that they were there for safeguarding purposes, but the man gave them his phone to prove he was not involved in drug dealing.

However, a message on the phone suggested otherwise when the officers saw that he was linked to a known county drug line.

The officers tried to arrest him and caution him, but the man tried to escape and violently resisted. He then produced a 35cm hunting knife with a serrated blade and thrashed it at the officers.

The pair brought the man to the ground and attempted to disarm him, to no avail. He kept slashing at the officers, but fortunately did not connect. After a struggle, PC Cook struck his arm, distracting him enough that PC Brand could pull the blade from his hand and throw it out of reach.

They then cuffed him and called for assistance. When he was searched a large quantity of class A drugs were found. Drug dealing paraphernalia was found at the address as well as crack and heroin.

The defendant in this case received a custodial sentence for assault with intent to resist arrest.

A colleague said: “The officers genuinely believed they were going to be stabbed. They made dynamic risk assessments and taking into account the safety of the public, the suspect’s safety and their own, they took decisive action.

“It is a miracle that neither officer received significant life-threatening injuries as a result and it is a credit to their training that they were prepared for such an incident. Both officers were left shaken up and the incident brought home the risks associated with their job – especially as they both have young families. PC Brand and PC Cook are a credit to themselves and the force.

“I am very proud of these officers. This is an excellent example of how situations that initially seem to be one thing can very quickly escalate into something altogether different. The incident lasted a matter of minutes, however I’m sure it would have felt a lot longer to these brave officers.”

Laura Heggie, Chair of Essex Police Federation, added: “Daniel and Jamie exemplify the very best of policing in Essex. They approached danger where others would walk away, taking action that protected the public from danger.

“This incident just goes to show there is no such thing as a routine call in policing – things can escalate very quickly. This pair deserve to be praised for their courage and should feel very proud of the job that they did that day and do every day.”

The brave duo will attend the Essex Police Federation Bravery Awards – which will combine celebrating the 2020 and 2021 winners – in Essex in September.

The Awards are sponsored by Uniform Mortgages.