Brave officers honoured at national awards ceremony

18 July 2022

Two Suffolk Police officers who tackled a knifeman as he headed into a busy town centre have been honoured at the 2022 Police Bravery Awards.

PCs Craig May and his partner Tori and James Moughton and his partner Victoria joined fellow nominees from across England and Wales at a special reception at 10 Downing Street followed by the awards ceremony at a central London hotel.

The Downing Street event was hosted by Home Secretary Priti Patel who praised the nominees for their “incredible courage”.

Outside the Downing Street gates are (left to right) James Moughton and partner Victoria and Craig May with partner Tori.

The Suffolk pair were shortlisted for the fearlessness they displayed when responding to reports that a man armed with a knife was running around the centre of Ipswich on the night of 17 May last year.

The officers work on the South Operation Sentinel team - an ANPR-equipped team with the main aim of disrupting criminality through intelligence-led policing.

They soon spotted the suspect, who was later identified as 47-year-old Mark Lewis, and asked him to stand still and show them his hands, but he ignored their requests and walked off towards the town centre.

Fearing a potential threat to life, PC Moughton challenged the suspect once again and “red-dotted” him with his Taser.

PC May immediately recognised the high-risk nature of the situation due to the location and the likelihood of Taser being ineffective due to the thick coat being worn by the suspect, so tackled the man from behind and forced him to the ground.

The officers then quickly brought the incident under control, handcuffed the suspect and recovered a large wooden-handled kitchen knife with a seven-inch blade.

Lewis, who smelled of alcohol, was transferred to custody where he became agitated and spat in the face of the duty custody sergeant.

PCs May and Moughton have now been put forward for the prestigious Police Bravery Awards organised by the Police Federation of England and Wales and scheduled to take place in July.

Suffolk Police Federation chair Darren Harris said: “I was very proud to attend the Police Bravery Awards with Craig and James and all the other nominees from across the country.

“It is a great event and the bravery, dedication and determination of those involved are truly extraordinary.

“Craig and James are no exception. The knife they recovered had a lanyard attached for weapon retention, an indication of intent, so who knows what these two officers prevented that night?

“I’m really proud of the officers who showed they are willing to take calculated risks and act decisively in tactical situations, putting the safety of the public before their own.”

Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Kearton also attended the evening awards ceremony.

Speaking at the Downing Street reception, Ms Patel told the nominees: “I am delighted to be able to celebrate with you, once again, the incredible courage of a remarkable group of police officers.

“Your work involves an extraordinary degree of sacrifice that should never be taken for granted. These awards play an important part in ensuring your deeds are recognised.

“I would like to thank the organisers of the 2022 awards, the Police Federation, and Police Mutual for their continued support for the event.”

The officers also received warm praise and a message of thanks from Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

He said: “These acts of bravery, honoured here today by your colleagues and the public, are outstanding and in the finest traditions of policing. I salute each and every one of the fantastic nominees at the awards. You are truly the best of the very best.

“It is absolutely right and proper that we honour and celebrate the work of our brave men and women in uniform who work day in and day out to protect the public.

“The progress we are making towards recruiting 20,000 more officers gives me full confidence that together we will make our streets safer. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Police Federation national chair Steve Hartshorn said: “Tonight, we heard extraordinary stories of bravery, selflessness and acts of courage that are not just part of the job.

“The bravery shown by these nominees is truly outstanding. From putting their own lives at risk to save others, facing violent attackers and terrifying weapons, to rescuing people from perilous situations in fast flowing water or stranded hundreds of feet in the air, they have faced danger head on.”

The annual bravery awards are organised by the Police Federation and sponsored by Police Mutual.

This year’s overall winner was Lincolnshire Police’s PC Steven Denniss who was stabbed as he tackled a double murder suspect he has spotted while off duty and out walking his dogs.