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Police rewarded for tackling swordsman

9:57am Sunday 6th July 2008

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WHEN a man, armed with a Samurai sword, was seen heading for a Swindon housing estate, brave police officers thought nothing for their own safety as they were compelled to disarm him.

PC Vince Price and PC Damon Thorne described trying to wrestle the ferocious blade away from the man in February 2006.

PC Thorne said: "A call came over the radio that there was a man in a long black Matrix-style coat walking down the middle of Akers Way.

"He refused to put down the weapon and unsheathed the sword from the scabbard and started waving it around. At that point we knew he was serious.

"He then started walking towards the houses off Cheney Manor Road.

"The police dog didn't take down the suspect, so we knew we had to stop him another way.

"We deployed CS gas, then three of us pinned the offender down to the ground and took the Samurai sword off him.

"He would not let go of the sword. There were three of us trying to grab it off him at one point. We are three normal people but he would not let go.

"He was arrested for possession of an offensive weapon.

"At the time we just thought we've got to contain him. We just had to make sure he didn't hurt anyone.

"You don't think of your own safety or the risks at the time. You just go into autopilot and know you have to disarm him."

PC Price said: "During interview he admitted he wished to make himself so dangerous and such a risk to the public, that he would be shot.

"He wanted police suicide. That was his aim.

"We are both ex-military and always wear stab vests, but the damage from that sword could have been incredible if he had got into the housing estate, even in the middle of the night.

"It is nice to be recognised by your fellow colleagues in the police service. That said, there are an awful lot of officers doing a lot of brave things every day."

PC Prince, PC Thorne and their colleagues PC Matt Salmon, PC Maria Poole and PC Ian Woodward were all awarded certificates of merit at a ceremony in Devizes on Tuesday.

Presenting the awards, Insp Jeremy Carter said: "These officers had to confine a man with a Samurai sword in Swindon.

"The suspect was not co-operating with officers and it became necessary to take action.

"The suspect drew his sword, but these officers acted swiftly to prevent injury to any member of the public or police staff involved."

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Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
10:58am Sun 6 Jul 08

These awards are well merited. The officers acted with bravery. These swords are evil weapons and could remove a limb with a single swipe. Quite why they are allowed in the UK is beyond me. I know of an incident some time back where an innocent by standing lost a leg in a pub because he was in the way of a drug feud.

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Captain Sensible, Near Swindon says...
8:25am Mon 7 Jul 08

Quite amazing, I see that there is another Adver article now posted above about even more police staff being 'honoured' for their 'bravery'. If they spent half the effort and time patrolling the streets that they seem to do attending orgies of self congratulation we'd all feel alot safer.

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Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
9:08am Mon 7 Jul 08

Captain generally I would agree with you about these endless 'citation'. It is endemic in our society that there has to be a 'public' award system, however trivial the event, it is much the same as the out pouring of grief at every tragic event by total strangers. However this article and the one on South Marston are valid. It was fraught with danger in the village last July.

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Debbie, Swindon says...
9:08am Mon 7 Jul 08

Why don't you try tackling a dangerous man with a lethal weapon, Captain Sensible, instead of posting cowardly comments about the police?

Sometimes they do a good job - let's recognise that.

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Captain Sensible, Near Swindon says...
9:17am Mon 7 Jul 08

Thats their job, they get payed for it, these endless back slapping sessions are getting very tedious especially when our streets are rife with gangs of feral youths constantly vandalising property and abusing the public, when you ring for help all they offer is a crime number.

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Debbie, Swindon says...
10:05am Mon 7 Jul 08

Thats their job, they get payed for it


So getting paid should be their only reward?

Maybe these awards encourage them to do an even better job, or aspire to achieve an award in the first place?

So because there are many areas in which policing the streets could be improved, you're saying we shouldn't recognise them when they do something brave or beyond the call of duty? Surely that would result in demoralisation of the police and make them think, "why bother?"

Good for them, I say very well done! Yah boo sucks to humbugs like CS.

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Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
10:22am Mon 7 Jul 08

Debbie I think Captain has a point to a degree. The problem is that we are seeing these awards far to often. As I have previously stated when I was a serving officer there probably were perhaps 5 citations a year. These were really for acts of outstanding heroism. I would suspect some of the officers who have received awards of late, would in reality feel embarrassed by it. It has to be said that a lot of this is more about senior officers being seen in a good light. It also has to be said that modern policing now is far removed from my time. We met issues head on and adopted what was known as 'the ways and means Act'. In other words policing was as much about morality as it was legality. Sadly that no longer exists which is why someone who 'detains' a child who is cause a public nuisance gets arrested for 'kidnap'. It has all got very bizarre and I guess Captain is probably in a majority thinking the police are not fulfilling their primary role of protecting the public. Harsh I know, but I think it is probably true. I would also add that it certainly isn't down to front line 'coppers' but their politically aspiring Senior Officers.

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wendy, swindon says...
10:45am Mon 7 Jul 08

Well if that's how the public feel, I don't know why these officers bother, they should let nut cases run around with lethal weapons, they risked their own lives to disarm this man, and thats not protecting the public? who the hell is it protecting then? I know of many brave and unbeliavable things some of our officers have done in the line of their duty, what they are paid for as cs says, I know of lives that have been saved by these officers, who apparently do not deserve our thanks, hundereds of incidents that we dont get to hear about, and they don't get any thanks for, I am sure that the people who's lives they have saved would beg to differ with you! Well done officers, they say their views are the majority, that's sad, but rest assured there are still many members of the public, who sincerely thank you.

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Mick out West, West Swindon says...
11:04am Mon 7 Jul 08

Captain Sensible, change your name it does not suit your comments.

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Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
11:21am Mon 7 Jul 08

Wendy I have no doubt you are correct, and I have not sought to denigrate the job they do, as I said I use to do it, but we cannot ignore the perception, whether accurate or not. You will know I am sure that HMG prefer the 'perception of crime survey', as opposed to the reality of Police stats, because they can select who they ask. The fact remains and news reports tend to bare it out that many middle and old age residents will not go anywhere near certain areas, or into town after dark. It is those issues that the Police need to address, but the Police Media machine does not seem to comprehend that. We all rightly accuse politicians of spin, sadly Senior Police Officers use the same method.

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wendy, swindon says...
11:35am Mon 7 Jul 08

RFM, I know what you are saying, but trivialising what these officers do is not the way, attack the top brass if necessary (now there is an opportunity to say that's what they are paid for!!) but these lads and lasses at ground level are not to blame for anyone's spin and I don't care what HMG prefer most of these kids do a great job, they are brave and they care passionately about what they do, they can't be held responsible for the politics, they do a great job, they are let down by the judicial system/HMG/Senior Officers and some members of the public, but they battle on and deserve any tiny little bit of praise they can get, let's face it they get plenty of criticismn for things beyond their control.

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wendy, swindon says...
11:59am Mon 7 Jul 08

I did do a lengthy response RFM, which appears to have gone astray, maybe a comment I made about Top Brass I don't know. But very briefly this time, we can't blame the officers at ground level for the politics, facts & figures, not their doing, to trivialise what they do is unfair, they are constantly let down by the judicial system/HMG/Senior Officers and it seems a minority of the general public, don't begrudge them a little praise, they don't get much, they have to take constant critisismn for things beyond their control, so praise where it's due, why do people feel they have to belittle what they done to merrit the praise, I am sure CS and crew could do a far better job, would you consider yourself brave for disarming such a dangerous man, of course not you would afeel overly rewarded already with the pathetic salary you receive which risking your life for this poultry pittence is written in the job description silly me!

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Frontier(s), says...
12:21pm Mon 7 Jul 08

I do think people should be recognised for acts of bravery that potential save lives. Whether it's a policeman or not doesn't make any real difference.

However, what I would like to know is why the police have to risk their own lives at all.

As one of the policemen involved says:

"He wanted police suicide. That was his aim."


Quite frankly, if that's what he wanted, why not save themselves and the rest of us a lot of hassle and give it to him?

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wendy, swindon says...
12:28pm Mon 7 Jul 08

Sorry RFM my posts are muddled, got half of the 1st one back now! Frontier, I don't understand your comments?

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Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
12:50pm Mon 7 Jul 08

would you consider yourself brave for disarming such a dangerous man, of course not you would afeel overly rewarded already with the pathetic salary you receive which risking your life for this poultry pittence is written in the job description silly me! Wendy why do you attack me over the Sword issue, I have already posted that the officers involved deserve their award, as did the PCSO talking a woman out of suicide. The point Frontier is making I think is that in this modern world of 'Risk Aversion' a tactical firearms unit should have been deployed and the situation contained until they arrived to shoot the guy. That is a valid view without detracting from the officers bravery.

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wendy, swindon says...
1:20pm Mon 7 Jul 08

RFM, that quote was intended for CS, not you, as I understood you have already been in their shoes and I would not insult you with such a comment, sorry for misunderstanding (I did put CS and crew, should have only put CS, sorry). Thanks for explanation of Frontiers comment, I misunderstood that one, now I understand it, I agree.

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Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
1:43pm Mon 7 Jul 08

The lines were a little blurred on your comment, apologie accepted, no offence taken.

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Frontier(s), says...
8:30am Tue 8 Jul 08

Yes, my point was that policemen should not be risking their own lives by coming into physical contact with these people.

There are far too many morons on our streets with lethal weapons, we're certainly not going to miss them so the police should use the powers at their disposal and safely neutralise these people before they harm others.

The problem with arresting them and then the courts immediately letting them back out on the streets is that they will almost certainly do the same thing again and this time somebody might get hurt.

Why run the risk? Why not just take these people quickly and quietly out of the equation - especially when many of them actually want police suicide.

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Captain Sensible, Near Swindon says...
9:11am Tue 8 Jul 08

Front page of yesterdays Adver proves my point, man driven over the edge by constant attacks and vandalism of his property, constantly reports same to police, police 'too busy' to attend, that is, of course until he takes action himself against the thugs. What a surprise the feds can't get round quick enough to nick him, probably interupting another self congratulatory awards ceremony.

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Comments are closed on this article.

PC Damon Thorne, first from right, and PC Vince Price, second from right, with Chief Constable Brian Moore and other recepients of the awards PC Damon Thorne, first from right, and PC Vince Price, second from right, with Chief Constable Brian Moore and other recepients of the awards

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