Two officers who wrestled a knifeman to the ground after he "terrorised" a bus full of passengers in Leeds, have been handed a prestigious award for their bravery.
West Yorkshire Police officers Sergeant Mike Watkins and PC Tom Swift were named as the winners of the North East Police Bravery Award last night (Thursday).
The pair were called to reports that a man was swinging a large knife around his head and threatening passengers on a bus in Holbeck on December 21 last year.
When they arrived at the scene shortly after 11.30pm they could see the man sitting down in the middle of the number 75 bus waving the knife.
The bus driver had stopped the vehicle as he and a trainee driver, on board to learn the route, had concerns about their safety and the safety of their passengers. The quick thinking officers, boarded the bus asking for Taser authority, realised the man posed a severe threat and decided to act instantly instead of waiting for backup to arrive.
They asked the man to stay where he was and to drop the weapon. He refused, then began swinging the knife around and moving towards the officers.
They fired their tasers but the man was wearing baggy clothing. PC Watkins then drew his baton to knock the knife from the man's hand and when the man saw the baton he moved back down the aisle. The officer's baton then fell from his hand, leading to the man stepping forward to pick it up. He now had a knife in one hand and the baton in the other which he swung above his head at the officers.
PC Swift then drew his own baton to hit the man whilst his colleague used pepper spray to try to subdue him. The knifeman continued to come forward and he and the officers continued the struggle off the bus, leading to the policemen having to use direct force.
The officers managed to grab both of the man's arms and pinned him to the ground, disarming him in the process. He was then put in handcuffs. Following the incident, the man was later sectioned under the Mental Health Act.
West Yorkshire Police Federation Chair Brian Booth said the officers had displayed incredible courage and professionalism to protect the lives of everyone on board.
“It’s another fantastic example of West Yorkshire Police officers doing everything in their power to stop people coming to harm,” he said. £This was a very tough assignment, and it got tougher given both Taser and the PAVA spray weren’t enough to stop this knifeman in his tracks. Mike and Tom had to think fast and act fast, they potentially saved lives that night, and we are extremely proud of their actions and of them as officers.”
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