Mitchell’s bravery will be recognised at awards ceremony

22 June 2026

With only a few weeks before the big day, West Midlands Police Federation’s nominee for the national Police Bravery Awards says he is really looking forward to the event and honoured to be representing the Force, his colleagues and all West Midlands Police officers.

In typically humble remarks, Sergeant Mitchell Bull also admits to feeling flattered to be in the company of all the other nominees from across England and Wales put forward for the awards which will be held in London on 9 July.

“I know a great deal of work goes into these types of events, so I am truly grateful to everybody involved in this process to make it happen,” says Mitchell.

“I would like to thank my previous line manager - PS Jason Pinches - for nominating me for the West Midlands Police Federation Bravery Awards in the first place, that not only led to me winning the award for the Walsall LPA, but the Force as a whole and then going forward for the national awards.

“I would also like to thank him for his leadership on the day of the incident for which I was nominated.

“I also want to thank my brave colleagues PCs Steven Kidd and Claire Jevons for their assistance on that day. They were the officers I was crewed with and were some of the best I have ever worked with; their bravery was second-to-none. Lastly, I want to thank every colleague who was involved in the back-up shout and who was involved in the countless hours of over-time to help apprehend the offender, which led to their sentencing for several assaults against me and my colleague.

Dangerous

“This incident truly shows how dangerous our role can get in a moment’s notice, and I am flattered to have received recognition for my actions on the day.

“I am mindful that officers across the country display acts of bravery every day and sometimes do not get the recognition they deserve. I will look forward to representing my Force of brave officers at this ceremony and am certain that the other nominees will feel the same way for their respective forces.”

Mitchell was named as the overall winner of the West Midlands Police Federation Bravery Awards in January this year and, in addition to being put forward for the national awards, was presented with the David Green Shield.

The shield is named in honour of PC David Green, who was stabbed to death by a mob in Birmingham city centre when he was 20. In David’s 15-month career, he was commended three times for his bravery.

Mitchell, who attended the West Midlands Federation awards with his wife, Jessica Newman-Bull, explained at the time: “To win the overall award was completely unexpected and I am overjoyed. I am so thankful for the nomination and the vote of the relevant parties.

“A highlight of the evening was hearing first-hand the courageous acts the other nominees were recognised for; it made me feel proud to do the job I do.

Positive

“The evening was a great opportunity to highlight the positive work officers do each and every day and provided a positive spin of appreciation for often traumatic events.

“I spoke with a few of the nominees throughout the course of the evening and congratulated them for their courageous acts.”

His nomination for the West Midlands Police Federation awards, which were sponsored by Slater and Gordon solicitors, came after he and PCs Kidd and Jevons came across a vehicle parked in Reservoir Place while they were conducting pro-active patrols in Walsall in February 2024.

The driver was present and appeared to be asleep. Mitchell, who noticed potential drug use forming grounds for a Section 23 search, explained: “I wanted to speak with the driver to ensure he was okay, and only suspected he was under the influence of illegal drugs when he woke up and put his window down.

“I suspected he presented a risk to the public if he was under the influence of an illegal substance in a motor vehicle.”

Mitchell, who is 32, remembers nodding to PC Kidd when he was not happy with the driver’s account and could see he was coming to his aid and getting out of the police vehicle, but his attention was then on the driver.

“It was only when I tried detaining him and he had refused to place his hands in front of him that he accelerated forward trapping PC Kidd and my left leg got trapped in the driver’s door by the impact of the collision between the two vehicles. It was a surreal experience, and I felt completely helpless,” Mitchell continued.

Serious

“As the car continued to rev, I felt the pressure getting tighter around my left leg, I thought PC Kidd, and I were in serious trouble.

“My efforts within the vehicle were proving to be ineffective so I pleaded with the driver and thankfully, after what felt like an eternity, he reversed the car dragging me with him.

“When I was laying in the road, I thought the car was going to run me over, so I limped to the pavement to get out of its way. When I could see the driver was struggling to move off, my instincts to apprehend him for several assaults and traffic offences kicked in. This was simply second nature, and I am sure the vast majority of officers would have done exactly the same.”

Mitchell tried to use his Taser but could only connect with the offender’s arm and therefore did not incapacitate him, allowing him to get away.

Despite his own injuries, Mitchell limped over to see PC Kidd on the pavement in significant pain being helped by PC Jevons and helped with first aid while awaiting an ambulance.

Mitchell suffered ligament damage to his left leg and superficial grazes across his body, leading to him being off work for almost a month and then on restricted duties for several months while making a full recovery.

Trauma

PC Kidd suffered serious injuries to both legs as well as mental trauma leading to time off work which significantly impacted his home life.

“This is the most traumatic incident I have dealt with as a police officer. What I initially deemed as a routine traffic stop turned into a high-risk traumatic incident that put the lives of several officers at risk. It shows how dangerous our jobs can be at a moment’s notice,” Mitchell said.

Luckily, the information the officers gathered for the major crime team and several other supporting units helped locate the driver who has now been sentenced to a total of five years and seven months in prison for multiple counts of assault and drug supply offences.

Mitchell wanted to be a police officer from the age of 16 so he could help people in need and tackle serious criminality. He has served with West Midlands Police since April 2022, having joined the Metropolitan Police in November 2016, and has carried out various roles within the Force including being a constable on a priority crime team in Walsall prior to moving to the SOCEx team on the same LPA.

Mitchell acted up for more than six months while completing the promotion process and has now been posted as a supervisor to Stechford Response Team E where he is enjoying the variety the role provides.

On 9 July, he and Jessica, who is also a serving officer with the Force, will join other nominees for the Police Federation of England and Wales Police Bravery Awards night which is usually preceded by a Downing Street reception hosted by the Home Secretary.