National Police Bravery Awards: good luck to ‘outstanding’ Suffolk nominee

6 July 2026

DC Scott Swallow was nominated for the Bravery Awards earlier this year after his off-duty heroics restraining a man who was behaving aggressively while wielding a knife.

The incident came across Scott’s radar as he was driving home through Barningham from a midweek pre-season football match with his Jayden, who was 15 at the time.

He was alerted to a woman under threat – later identified as the suspect’s mother –screaming hysterically due to the presence of the weapon, and stopped his vehicle at a safe distance to monitor what was a fast-moving situation.

With escalation possible at any second, Scott eventually decided to get out of his car and attempt to gain more control over matters while waiting for back-up to arrive.

All this unfolded while Jayden, remaining inside the car, acted calmly and bravely in his own right after being handed his father’s 999 call to continue passing on updates to the control room.

Threats

The next few minutes saw both the diversion of the suspect’s attention and threats towards Scott, and the appearance of a neighbour wanting to assist the officer, leading to an eventual apprehension and removal of the knife.

But it would be another 20 minutes of restraining the man, who was growing increasingly violent and erratic, until on-duty Force personnel arrived to complete the arrest.

Now, Scott will travel to London for the prestigious Bravery Awards in recognition of his above-and-beyond actions, which branch secretary Ben Hudson has praised.

“We are very proud of Scott and of what he took upon himself to do that day, which demonstrates his incredible commitment to policing and public safety even when he was supposed to be switched off from work,” Ben said.

“Despite being off duty and spending quality time with his son, Scott, without any hesitation, quickly changed into officer mode when he became aware of a dangerous and rapidly worsening situation.

Weapon

“This decisiveness led to the suspect being contained and the weapon secured, making the lives of his on-shift colleagues so much easier.

“It was an outstanding act of courage and initiative, which represents the dedication of police officers across the country to take responsibility even when they’re out of uniform.

“A word is also in order for Jayden, who has understandably made Scott a very proud dad with his bravery and assistance to the Force in a critical moment – he deserves huge credit.

“On behalf of the Federation, we wish Scott all the best for the Bravery Awards, and we hope he enjoys what will be a special occasion being celebrated for the exceptional officer and person he is.”