Suffolk Cops Nominated for Top Bravery Awards After Shotgun Stand-Off
Two Suffolk police officers have been hailed heroes after bravely stopping a shotgun-wielding man from harming children – and himself – during a terrifying domestic rampage. PC Peter French from Stowmarket and PC Jordan Tuck from Sudbury are now in the running for the prestigious National Police Bravery Awards.
Chaos Unfolds in Havoc-Ridden Home
The duo answered a harrowing call on 8 September 2019. Inside the property, rooms looked wrecked by a hurricane, with furniture and glass shattered everywhere. In the kitchen, they found a terrified 12-year-old girl hiding, saying the man had gone outside.
Outside, garden furniture lay smashed. Suddenly, the man appeared brandishing a shotgun, pointing it dead at the officers. Unarmed, PC French and PC Tuck backed away, ordering him to drop the weapon. After a torrent of abuse and refusal, they slipped back inside, locking the doors to block him out.
Rescue, Fire, and a Narrow Escape
The officers located and evacuated three children and an adult. One child was so scared they hid in a cupboard. Meanwhile, the man smashed patio doors with the shotgun’s butt and doused a garden shed in petrol before setting it ablaze.
Flames quickly engulfed the shed, threatening nearby homes. The deranged man then took cover behind a hedge, shotgun aimed at the house, ready to shoot anyone who came close.
PC French calmly advised control to send backup silently, without blue lights and avoiding the garden route. Luckily, the man’s anger cooled and he dropped the weapon. The officers seized their chance, wresting the shotgun and man under control. It later emerged the gun had been fired but failed to discharge.
Praise and Justice
Suffolk Police Federation Chairman Darren Harris said, “Jordan and Peter were incredibly brave to get these children to safety. Anything could have happened, but their courage stopped a tragedy.”
The man pleaded guilty to multiple firearms offences, threats to kill, assault, and arson. He was jailed for 5½ years.
PC French and PC Tuck will join fellow nominees at the National Police Bravery Awards ceremony in London in July 2021, delayed due to the pandemic. Police Federation National Chair John Apter praised them as “heroes, plain and simple” for their heroic work.
