Knife-wielding man sets house ablaze – cops risk lives to save him
In April 2021, a knife-wielding man barricaded himself in a room near Aylesbury and set it on fire. Four firearms officers – PC Richard Fenemore, PC Lee Sullivan, PC James Dalton, and PC Steve Hall – rushed to the scene after local cops called for urgent backup.
Smoke, knives and chaos inside burning room
The officers tried to negotiate with the man but smelled smoke and forced their way inside. They found the place filling with thick, black smoke – the man had started a fire.
While battling to put out the flames, the man lunged at one of the officers with his knife. PC Dalton recalled:
“Thick black smoke was pouring out of the room, but everyone in the team knew exactly what they needed to do. While I was trying to clear the barricade, the man came at me with a knife. My colleague fired his Taser, but it was ineffective. Still, it distracted him enough for us to pull him down onto the floor.”
Hero cops wrestle knife, rescue man from burning room
As they tried to cuff him, the man started cutting his own hands, forcing officers to fight for control amid rising flames.
“We had to get the knife off him while handcuffing him, all the while watching the fire grow behind us,” said PC Dalton.
The officers finally dragged the injured man from the smoke-filled room, saving his life despite his life-threatening injuries.
Bravery pays off with prison sentence and awards
The man was later charged with attacking officers and setting the fire. He was sentenced to three years and four months behind bars.
valley-police/" title="Thames Valley Police" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked" data-wpil-monitor-id="4584">Thames Valley Police Federation Chair Craig O’Leary praised the team:
“These officers showed great courage while being threatened with a knife and dealing with a fire. They managed to save the man’s life. Police run towards danger when others run away. We’re proud of James, Richard, Steve and Lee.”
The four officers are set to attend the 2022 Thames Valley Police Federation Bravery Awards on 28 April, where an overall winner will be crowned.
