Off-duty PC’s heroic showdown on M3 wins bravery nod!
Newbie cop faces hammer-wielding attacker on motorway
PC Jordan Janaway, just months into her police career, risked life and limb while off-duty on the M3 near Winchester on 14 November 2020. Driving to work at 4pm, she spotted a vehicle parked dangerously near the slip road and a frantic man waving for help.
To her horror, another man lay partly in the live motorway lane – her lane – forcing her to brake hard to avoid hitting him.
Shocking attack and brave rescue
After safely parking, PC Janaway rushed to assist the driver who’d hit the man that had stepped suddenly onto the road. Together, they dragged the injured man to the hard shoulder. He was bleeding from the head but conscious.
Another motorist told her the man had just attacked him with a hammer and was involved in violent scuffles. PC Janaway spotted the hammer lying nearby in lane two.
The injured man then tried to rise and move towards the live carriageway. PC Janaway and a good Samaritan restrained him, preventing a deadly accident.
Terrifying assault on PC Janaway
In a terrifying twist, the attacker tried to pull PC Janaway towards him and attempted to sexually assault her. She fought back, using force to keep him down until on-duty officers arrived to handcuff him.
It later emerged the man had attacked his father with the hammer moments earlier and was in the grips of a violent mental health crisis.
Police Federation hails ‘immense bravery’
Hampshire Police Federation Chair Zoë Wakefield praised PC Janaway, saying:
“Jordan showed immense bravery and integrity by stopping to assist with this incident while off-duty, at great risk to herself. She had no personal protection equipment whatsoever. Jordan almost certainly prevented this man’s death by pulling him out of the live carriageway and restraining him, despite him being a large, strong man. We are very proud of her actions.”
Award nomination and official recognition
PC Janaway has been nominated for the National Police Bravery Awards, which honour officers across England and Wales who perform outstanding acts of courage on or off duty.
She will attend the glamorous awards ceremony and reception in London this July.
