Award for officers who tackled violent man

TWO South Yorkshire PCs who tackled a violent man and his dog were among the officers and staff awarded for their outstanding work to keep Doncaster safe.

PC Kelly and PC Akhtar responded to reports of an assault on Friday 9 December at a flat in Edlington, where they found a woman covered in blood from a cut above her eye.

When they approached the suspect outside the flat, he lunged towards PC Kelly and punched her in the face before goading his Bull Terrier to attack the officers.

Undeterred, the officers attempted to arrest the man, but during the struggle the dog injured PC Kelly’s leg and hand. As PC Akhtar tried to detain the man, he was also assaulted in the face.

Despite their injuries, they managed to restrain the man on the floor and control the dog, preventing further injuries to their colleagues who arrived afterwards.

PC Kelly was taken to hospital, but returned to work the next day, while PC Akhtar received treatment from the custody nurse and then carried on with his shift.

The officers’ bravery was acknowledged when they were presented their award at Mansion House in Doncaster on Thursday 9 February in front of Chief Constable Steven Watson.

Other award recipients included Detective of the Year PC Sarah Halliday, Police Officer of the Year PC Paul Aston and Special Constable of the Year Chris Ibbotson.

The lifetime achievement in police award was presented to PC Neil Humphreys and the student officer award was given to PC Thomas Charlesworth.

Presenting the awards, Chief Superintendent Tim Innes said: “The stories shared tonight demonstrate the outstanding commitment officers give to their role and we are lucky to have them as a member of our force.

“The awards presented are a small token in comparison to actions, bravery and dedication they have demonstrated and I would like to personally thank each and every one of them for their hard work.”