Two Leeds police officers nominated for National Police Bravery Awards after wrestling knifeman on bus

Two Leeds police officers who wrestled a knifeman to the ground after he terrorised a bus full of passengers have been nominated for a national award.
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The terrifying incident happened on December 21 last year.

PC Mike Watkins and PC Tom Swift were sent to deal with reports that the man was swinging a large knife around his head and threatening passengers on the Number 75 bus in Holbeck.

As the officers arrived at the scene, shortly after 11.30pm, they could see the man sitting down in the middle of the bus.

Brave police officers PC Tom Swift and PC Mike Watkins have been nominated for a national awardBrave police officers PC Tom Swift and PC Mike Watkins have been nominated for a national award
Brave police officers PC Tom Swift and PC Mike Watkins have been nominated for a national award

He was still brandishing the large knife.

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At this stage, the bus driver had stopped the vehicle as he and a trainee driver, on board to learn the route, had real concerns about their safety and the safety of their late-night passengers.

The officers realised the man posed a severe threat and decided they had to act instantly rather than wait for backup to arrive.

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They boarded the bus from the front after calling to ask for authority to use their tasers.

Because the situation was so serious, they realised they couldn’t wait and made sure their tasers were ready to be used.

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They calmly told the man to stay where he was and to drop the knife, a request he flatly refused. Instead, he began to swing the large blade around again and advanced menacingly towards them.

The officers then deployed their tasers, but they had minimal effect due to the baggy layers of clothing the man was wearing.

The officers knew they had to keep themselves and the passengers out of knife range, so PC Watkins took the courageous step to draw his baton and approach the man in a bid to knock the blade from his hand.

After seeing the baton, the man began to retreat back down the aisle. But PC Watkins’ baton fell from his grasp and the man stepped forward to pick it up.

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With a knife in one hand and the police baton in the other, the man turned towards the officers, again swinging both weapons around his head.

All the while, the officers had managed to keep themselves and the passengers and drivers on the bus out of harm’s way.

Bravely stepping forward, PC Swift then drew his own baton to strike the man while his colleague deployed PAVA spray.

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But the man continued to move forward and the melee spilled out over the bus steps and into the street.

With tasers, a baton strike and PAVA spray all failing to stop the knifeman in his tracks, the officers had to revert to more hands-on tactics.

As the man went to swing at them again with the knife and the baton, the officers managed to rush at him, grabbing both his arms in a bid to take the weapons off him.

Pinning him to the ground, the officers managed to de-arm him before getting him into handcuffs.

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The man was later sectioned under the Mental Health Act and received the treatment he required.

PC Watkins and PC Swift have been nominated for the National Police Bravery Awards for their actions that night.

The Awards honour officers from across England and Wales who have performed outstanding acts of bravery while on or off duty.

West Yorkshire Police Federation chairman Brian Booth said the officers had displayed incredible courage and professionalism to protect the lives of everyone on board.

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“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.”

As nominees, PC Watkins and PC Swift will attend an awards ceremony in London in July.