Three Staffordshire police officers who disarmed a 25-stone man who was threatening to harm himself with a knife and then pulled him out of a burning house have been nominated for the national Police Bravery Awards 2021.
PCs Paul Waterhouse, Daniel Woodmansey and Joanne Willis worked together and risked their lives to save the man.
PCs Waterhouse and Woodmansey were called to an address in Parkhall Avenue, Stoke-on-Trent, following a report that a man had been involved in a domestic incident and was spraying whisky around the property with the intention of setting it alight.
On arrival, the situation was further complicated by three dogs barking aggressively at the officers from behind a gate to the side of the property, while they could also see the shape of a fourth through the glass front door.
The dog was let out and ran, barking, towards the officers. PC Waterhouse managed to calm the animal before PC Willis, a dog handler, arrived moments later to take control of it.
Meanwhile, an alarm had been set off inside the property and there was the smell of smoke, so PC Waterhouse used the enforcer to open the door.
PC Woodmansey said: “I could smell some smoke coming from somewhere within the address but I had no idea what the extent of the fire was at that point.”
Inside they found the man slumped on the living room sofa with a kitchen knife, about a foot long, in his hand.
“I entered the room with my Taser unholstered,” said PC Woodmansey, “I suspected he was in a distressed mental state from the information passed to us before our arrival, and was genuinely concerned he would either hurt himself, PC Waterhouse or me.
“I calmly instructed him to put the knife down slowly and told him I did not want him to come to any harm. I repeatedly told him to put the knife down, but he was not responding and hardly moving.”
With the kitchen now well ablaze, the officers had to move fast.
PC Woodmansey holstered his Taser and tried to take the knife from the man who then resisted and moved the blade towards his upper body, as if to harm himself.
At this point, PC Waterhouse drew and discharged his Taser, causing him to drop the knife.
“Without the Taser we wouldn’t have been able to take control and take the knife from him,” he said. “Due to the fire, we didn’t have the time to negotiate any longer with him.”
However, the man, who was estimated to weigh around 25st, then rolled onto the floor, jamming his body between the sofa and a coffee table. He refused to stand up and was aggressive.
“At this point I was beginning to get very concerned that the fire was taking hold of the property,” said PC Waterhouse, “PC Willis was shouting at us to get out.
“PC Woodmansey and myself took hold of his arms and attempted to drag him but, because of his weight and the clutter in the room, we couldn’t move him. In the end, PC Woodmansey took hold of his legs and I took hold under his arms and we were able to drag him across the floor.”
By now the hall was full of thick, black smoke and the officers were struggling to see and breathe.
PC Willis, meanwhile, had obtained two fire extinguishers, but the first failed to work and she was unable to use the second because of the density of the smoke.
“I shouted to my colleagues to get out several times,” she said. “They then got into the hallway and I could hear them coughing and telling Him to move.”
The two officers inside were by this time fearing for their lives as they struggled with the 25st deadweight while engulfed in thick smoke.
PC Waterhouse said: “We had managed to get him halfway down the hall before I could no longer breathe. I let go of him and ran out of the front door, gasping for breath.”
He was followed by PC Woodmansey, who added: “I could feel I was breathing in smoke and felt as though I was suffocating. I feared for my life at that point and so ran out the front door so that I could catch my breath outside.”
The officers then returned to the burning building and, with the help of PC Willis, managed to drag the man out of the front door and to safety.
PC Willis said: “I’ve been to house fires before, but the speed this one developed was frightening. The black smoke sapped your breathing and made it very difficult to see into the house.
“When I returned with the second fire extinguisher I seriously feared for my colleagues’ safety and the safety of the man.
“I was very relieved to hear my colleagues enter the hallway and make their way with him to the front door,” she added.
The three officers have been nominated for the Police Federation’s 2021 Police Bravery Awards, which will take place in London in December.
Glyn Pattinson, secretary of Staffordshire Police Federation, has praised the officers.
“These three officers acted together to save the life of this man, putting their lives at risk while doing so,” he explained, “Their selfless actions no doubt prevented a tragic outcome to this incident and they are very worthy nominees for this year’s bravery awards.”
The three bravery awards nominees at a Force Awards Ceremony with Temporary Chief Constable Emma Barnett.
