Five police officers who saved a woman’s life have won a bravery award.
Sgt Ben Clarke, PC Jessica Howells, PC Roxane Lines, PC Jack Smith and PC Luke Wallis are being awarded a Thames Valley Police Federation Bravery Award after saving a woman from suicide.
In April 2021, the police received information from a Samsung call centre that a woman had called them saying she was suicidal.
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Sgt Ben Clarke, PC Jessica Howells, PC Roxane Lines, PC Jack Smith and PC Luke Wallis attended the woman’s home and spoke to her through a locked door.
The woman made it clear to the officers that she would self-harm with the intention of killing herself and the police called for Method of Entry officers to attend in case urgent entry into flat was required.
As the attempts to negotiate continued she continued to repeat that she was going to kill herself as she was heard withdrawing further into the flat.
Police became concerned for her welfare and safety after she mentioned there was a viable weapon within the flat.
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It was at this point that the officers forced the door open to save her life and found the woman in the bedroom stabbing herself in the neck. The officers gave her clear instructions to stop, but with no effect, so they deployed Taser.
They followed up with fast first aid to plug a suspected arterial bleed, while the woman actively resisted all efforts to help her. An ambulance arrived and took over the medical treatment before taking the woman to hospital.
Sgt Clarke ensured welfare checks on all officers involved, debriefed them, and has continued to manage their welfare following the incident to ensure they have ongoing support.
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PC Howells said: “We see a lot of disturbing things as police officers and we deal with a lot of mental health issues, but I’d never seen anything quite like this and I know none of my colleagues had either.”
He added: “We had to weigh up the risks of each option, we didn’t want to make the wrong decision, but our priority was to prevent the woman from taking her own life.”
Thames Valley Police Federation Chair Craig O’Leary said: “This was a very distressing and challenging incident.
“All five officers acted calmly and professionally, making split-second decisions that saved this woman’s life.”
Sgt Clarke and PCs Howells, Lines, Smith and Wallis will attend the 2022 Thames Valley Police Federation Bravery Awards on April 28 where an overall winner will be announced.
If you are affected by this story, please call the Samaritans https://www.samaritans.org/
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