‘I thought I was going to die’ says officer who was brutally assaulted
13 May 2026
A West Mercia Police officer who was viciously attacked while on duty in Hereford has spoken about the ordeal that left him with severe physical injuries and long-term mental health issues.
PC Ryan Davis, a response officer in the city, described the brutal assault that took place on Good Friday 2024, as ‘the day that my life changed forever’.
Ryan, who was 32 at the time, was working as part of a plainclothes operation aimed at protecting women and girls when he and colleagues intervened in a fight.
A member of the public was being assaulted by father and son Richard and Alex Quinn, who were later found guilty of that offence in September 2024. Two officers were also injured by Richard Quinn’s wife, Carolynn Quinn, who was convicted of two counts of assault of an emergency worker.
As Ryan and his colleagues tried to protect the public, the father and son launched a vicious attack on him. The assault left Ryan with a dislocated and broken ankle, a broken lower leg, multiple facial fractures, and damage to his eye.
“Even when I was physically disabled on the ground, they continued to punch, kick, stamp on, and strangle me while my colleagues were being attacked,” he recalled.
“I thought I was going to die.”
The attack left PC Davis facing months of trauma during physical and mental rehabilitation, including multiple surgeries. He has since struggled with PTSD and chronic pain.
Horrific attack
“This horrific attack changed who I am. I have struggled ever since. Their actions put me through so much physical and mental pain. I’m a completely different person now, compared to the one I was before it happened.
“And all I was trying to do was protect members of the public and prevent harm.”
Ryan has since returned to policing, but in a desk-based role while continuing to recover.
“Being on a desk when I’m such a community-focused person has been mentally draining. I want to be out helping people again, doing it to the best of my ability,” said Ryan, who has had to learn to walk again and has undergone two separate surgeries on his leg, years apart.
“I’m desperate to get back out on the front line again. To be honest, I don’t know if I have a future in policing if that’s not possible.”
On Friday 20 February this year (2026), Richard Quinn, 49, and Alex Quinn, 20, both of Bridge Street, Hereford, were sentenced for assault causing grievous bodily harm to Ryan and for the assault of a member of the public at Worcester Crown Court.
Richard Quinn, of Bridge Street, Hereford, was sentenced to four years and three months. Alex Quinn, of the same address, was sentenced to three years and ten months at a young offenders' institute.
Commenting on the verdict, Ryan said: “While I am pleased that an element of justice has been handed out, I have already spent the past 21 months recovering from this cowardly and brutal attack - and there is still more recovery ahead. Nobody should go to work and experience anything like this.
Nightmares
“Closure from an incident - will we ever get it? Even now, I still have nightmares, and the chronic pain is a daily reminder.”
Ryan credited the support of West Mercia Police, the Police Federation, and multiple charities for helping him rebuild his life.
He added: “It’s been a mammoth care package -charities, organisations, colleagues, welfare officers - they’ve all helped me.”
Activities such as physiotherapy in swimming pools, rehabilitation retreats, and fundraising for police charities like the Blue Lamp Foundation and Thin Blue Line UK have been vital to his recovery.
“Meeting officers who have gone through similar experiences strengthened my outlook and resilience. Opening up about your struggles is how you cope,” he said.
“I've been fortunate in the support shown to me, and I'd ask any officer who is suffering, struggling with an injury or who has been assaulted, to reach out.
“Whether via your supervisor, the Federation, Occupational Health, Group Insurance, or to check any of your own insurances or enquire through the incredible police charities that are out there. Because without that support, I wouldn't be where I am now.”
Lesley Williams, who was the secretary of West Mercia Police Federation at the time of the Quinns’ sentencing, said that the attack on Ryan painted a stark picture of the daily risks officers face.
Crimes
Lesley expressed her growing concern that sentences handed down to those who attack them are failing to reflect the severity of these crimes.
She said: “West Mercia Police Federation supported Ryan throughout this horrifying incident, and our thoughts continue to be with him and his family.
“The Quinns carried out a brutal and cowardly attack on Ryan, who suffered severe injuries for doing his job and protecting the public.
“Ryan demonstrated extraordinary courage at the time of the attack, and continues to show it through his ongoing recovery.
“This case is a stark reminder of the risks our officers face and the unacceptable violence directed at them.”
The Federation continues to call for judges and magistrates to deliver the toughest possible sentences for those who assault police officers.
“Attacks such as this on Ryan can’t be dismissed as being part of the job,” Lesley said, ending: “We don’t feel that the sentence handed down reflects the brutality of the attack and its long-lasting physical and psychological impact.
Courage
“We will continue to call for the toughest possible sentences for those who attack our members.”
Chief Superintendent Edd Williams said: “Police officers demonstrate exceptional courage every day, prioritising public safety over their own.
“It is deeply concerning that individuals like the Quinns carried out such a cowardly and brutal attack on PC Davis. Assaults on our officers will never be tolerated, and offenders will be held fully accountable.”
Chief Constable Richard Cooper added: “An attack on a police officer or any emergency service worker is an attack on society. Injured colleagues need time away from work, affecting our capacity to serve the public.
“West Mercia Police has supported PC Davis throughout his ordeal, and I hope this sentencing serves as a reminder that assaults on officers will never be tolerated.”
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