This year’s overall winners of the 31st Police Federation Bravery Awards are Inspector Moloy Campbell, PC Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield and PC Cameron King from the Metropolitan Police Service.

The trio were honoured at the ceremony by Police Federation National Chair, Tiff Lynch, and Police Mutual Managing Director, Kerry McMahon-White, for confronting an armed man during the Hainault attacks in April 2024, where a schoolboy was killed and members of the public were seriously injured.

One morning in April 2024, officers responded to an active and rapidly evolving incident involving an armed male. The suspect had already fatally injured a schoolboy and carried out further attacks on members of the public, presenting an immediate and lethal threat.

Upon arrival, PC Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield moved to confront the suspect. Equipped with only a Taser and PAVA spray, she pursued the individual through nearby alleyways in an effort to contain and stop the threat.

During this engagement, she was subjected to a violent attack by the suspect, sustaining severe and life-altering injuries, including a fractured skull and significant nerve damage.

PC Cameron King, who was alongside PC Mechem-Whitfield, responded instantly. Having witnessed the attack on his colleague, he positioned himself between her and the suspect, shielding her from further harm. This intervention, described by the judge as lifesaving, was critical in preventing further injury and potential loss of life.

At the same time, Inspector Moloy Campbell demonstrated decisive leadership by engaging the suspect directly. Armed with only his baton, he placed himself between the attacker and other officers, attempting to subdue him.

During this confrontation, Inspector Campbell sustained a serious injury to his hand, suffering a deep laceration that caused extensive damage to tendons, muscles and nerves. Despite this, he continued his efforts to detain the suspect, remaining focused on bringing the incident under control.

The actions of PC Mechem-Whitfield, PC King and Inspector Campbell took place in an exceptionally dangerous and unpredictable environment, where the threat to life was immediate and ongoing.

Through their actions, they disrupted a violent and armed individual, preventing further harm to members of the public and protecting one another in the face of extreme danger.

Speaking on behalf of his team, PC Cameron King said: "To be recognised is incredible. It's important to also recognise the wider team. They played a massive part in it and we wouldn't have received the outcome we did without them."

Hosted by the Police Federation since 1996, and sponsored by Police Mutual for more than 10 years, the annual awards honour the bravest of our dedicated police officers for displaying outstanding commitment to their role protecting the public while on or off duty. 

The regional winners are:

> Region 1, Cumbria: PC Heather Watson and PC Matthew Johnston 

> Region 2, Humberside: PC Gareth Stephenson and Police Community Support Officers Barrie Clark and Rebecca Smith

> Region 3, Warwickshire: PS Charlie Thompson

> Region 4, Northamptonshire: PS Will Barr and PCs Bradley Bowman, Lewis Desborough, Nik Hawke MBE and Chris King 

> Region 5, Surrey: PC Jay Wakefield

> Region 6, Avon and Somerset: PC Jack Civill-Williams and PC Amy Montague

> Region 7, Gwent: PC Danielle Westbrook (nee Cole) and PC Thomas Simmonds

> Region 8, Met 1: Inspector Moloy Campbell, PC Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield and PC Cameron King

Hosted by the Police Federation since 1996, and sponsored by Police Mutual for more than 10 years, the annual awards honour the bravest of our dedicated police officers for displaying outstanding commitment to their role protecting the public while on or off duty. 

Video footage of the ceremony will be available on our YouTube channel after the event here: Police Federation of England and Wales HQ - YouTube.