Officer nominated for Bravery Award after surviving knife attack

6 May 2026

A North Wales police officer has told about the moment his body armour saved his life during a violent confrontation with a knife-wielding suspect.

Police Constable Andy Collis has been nominated for a Police Bravery Award and will represent North Wales Police at the national event this summer. 

His nomination follows an incident that Andy has likened to ‘a horror movie’ - a struggle that left him narrowly avoiding serious injury.

The episode unfolded on a Friday afternoon, when reports came over the radio of a man standing in the middle of the street throwing bricks. Although not initially assigned to the call, Andy - who was on duty in an unmarked car - realised he was only seconds away and chose to respond.

“As soon as I got out of my car, he just started shouting at me - and what he was saying made no sense at all,” said Andy, who joined the force in January 2001.

“He turned around and ran down the driveway of the property. I knew almost immediately that he needed to be detained.”

 

PC Andy Collis.

 

Believing the individual posed a clear danger to the public, Andy gave chase.

What followed was a sequence of events inside the property. As he pursued the suspect through the back of the house, the officer stepped over the body of a large dead dog lying across the doorway - he described as deeply unsettling.

Andy said that inside, conditions worsened. 

“The kitchen was dark, with boarded-up windows and rats running across the floor,” he continued, adding: “The suspect, still shouting incomprehensibly, began throwing objects at the officer from across a breakfast bar.”

Dramatic escalation

Drawing his PAVA spray, the officer discharged it and attempted to restrain the man, who then fled into the hallway. As the officer caught up and grabbed him near the front door, the situation escalated dramatically.

“I didn’t even realise he had a knife. I just felt my midriff pushed back as hard as it could,” said Andy, who recalled looking down and seeing the blade being withdrawn from his body armour.

The suspect then attempted to stab him again, targeting areas below the protective vest. 

“He was using all his strength to try and force the knife into me,” Andy said. “If it wasn’t for that body armour, I wouldn’t be here.”

Despite the injury and the shock, Andy continued to fight, focusing solely on disarming the suspect. After a prolonged struggle, during which the attacker switched the knife between hands, the officer managed to knock the weapon to the floor and secure one handcuff.

Subdued and detained

A colleague arrived moments later with a Taser, but Andy shouted for assistance instead, knowing the knife was already out of reach. Together, they subdued and detained the suspect. Additional officers soon arrived at the scene.

Andy sustained cuts to his hands and was affected by the PAVA spray, but his injuries were otherwise minor. He was treated at hospital before returning to duty the same evening.

“I went straight back to work - that was my way of dealing with it,” he said.

The suspect was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. However, the case was later dropped after it was determined he lacked the mental capacity to face prosecution.

In recognition of his actions, the officer received a Force bravery award later that year and has now been nominated for a national Police Bravery Award.

Extra vigilant

Reflecting on the incident, the officer said it has not deterred him from frontline policing but has made him more vigilant.

“If anything, it sharpens you. You become more aware, more thorough,” he said. “Now it’s always - show me your hands, immediately. 

“I’ve learned to never let your guard down.”

Despite the trauma, he remains committed to his role.

Quick thinking

“I’d do the same again,” he ended. “I feel lucky to have come out alive.”

Chair of North Wales Police Federation Trystan Bevan said: “Andy’s courage and quick thinking in the face of extreme danger is a testament to the bravery shown by officers every day. 

“We wish him the very best of luck at this year’s national Police Bravery Awards. He has already done himself, his colleagues and the Federation immensely proud.”

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