On the 21st of December last year, PC Mike Watkins and PC Tom Swift were called to investigate reports that a man was swinging a large knife around his head and threatening passengers on the Number 75 bus in Holbeck, Leeds.
Officers arrived at the scene shortly after 11.30 p.m. and saw the man sitting in the middle of the bus. He still had the large knife in his hand. The bus driver had stopped the vehicle at this point because he and a trainee driver on board to learn the route were concerned about their safety and the safety of their late-night passengers.
The officers realised the man posed a serious threat and decided they needed to act immediately rather than wait for backup.
They boarded the bus from the front after requesting Taser use authorization. Given the gravity of the situation, they realised they couldn’t wait any longer and decided to prepare their Tasers for use.
They then calmly told the man to stay put and drop the knife, which he flatly refused. Instead, he resumed swinging the large blade around and advanced menacingly towards them.
The officers then used their Tasers, but they had little effect due to the man’s baggy layers of clothing. The officers knew they needed to keep themselves and the passengers out of harm’s way, so PC Watkins drew his baton and approached the man, hoping to knock the blade from his hand.
When he saw the drawn baton, he began to back down the aisle. PC Watkins’ baton fell from his grasp due to the confines of the bus, and the man stepped forward to pick it up.
The man approached the officers with a knife in one hand and a police baton in the other, swinging both weapons around his head. All the while, the officers had managed to keep themselves, as well as the passengers and drivers on the bus, safe.
PC Swift bravely stepped forward and drew his own baton to strike the man while his colleague used PAVA spray.
Still, the man approached, and the melee spilled out onto the bus steps and into the street. With Tasers, baton strikes, and PAVA spray all failing to stop the knifeman, the officers were forced to resort to more direct hands-on tactics.
As the man prepared to strike them again with the knife and the baton, the officers rushed at him, grabbing both of his arms in an attempt to neutralise the weapons.
The officers managed to de-arm him while pinning him to the ground and putting him in handcuffs.
Later, the man was sectioned under the Mental Health Act and received the necessary treatment.
West Yorkshire Police Federation Chair Brian Booth praised the officers for their bravery and professionalism in protecting everyone on board.
It’s yet another fantastic example of West Yorkshire Police officers doing everything they can to keep people safe,” he said.
“This was a very difficult assignment, and it became even more difficult when both the Taser and the PAVA spray failed to stop this knifeman in his tracks.”
Mike and Tom had to think quickly and act quickly that night, potentially saving lives, and we are extremely proud of their actions and of them as officers.
The National Police Bravery Awards recognise officers from across England and Wales who have displayed exceptional bravery while on or off duty.
PC Watkins and PC Swift will attend a reception and an evening awards ceremony in London in July as nominees, along with colleagues from across the country.
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