Hampshire officer nominated for Police Bravery Award after saving man's life
PC Jade Rudd stepped in to help a man threatening to set himself alight
A Hampshire Police officer has been nominated for a National Police Bravery Award after saving the life of a man threatening to set himself on fire in Aldershot.
PC Jade Rudd was called to a petrol station in the early hours of September 23 2020, finding a man who'd doused himself in petrol and carrying a lighter and lit cigarette.
PC Rudd directed others to safety, before approaching the man. She managed to move him away from the pumps and onto the nearby pavement, where she persuaded him to give up the cigarette and lighter.
He was then arrested but later received medical and mental health assistance.
PC Rudd, said:“Police officers display acts of bravery every day, and I acted in a way any police officer would.
“Dealing with this particular incident was very much a team effort. Without the support of my colleagues both on the ground and on the end of the radio we would not have been able to get the gentleman the help he so desperately needed.
“Sometimes people think that police officers just arrest people, but this is certainly not the case. We’re often the first people at the scene of an incident and we’re faced with a wide range of issues, which aren’t always directly related to policing."
Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney, said: “I am immensely proud of PC Rudd and what she did to ensure that lives were not lost that day.
“She selflessly put the lives of others before her own in what was an incredibly dangerous situation and she deserves this national recognition for her brave actions."
The National Police Bravery Awards honour officers who have performed outstanding acts of bravery while on or off duty - PC Rudd will attend the awards in London on Thursday night.