Across the pond in the UK, police officers don't carry a sidearm pistol. If things go south it's just their wits, a baton, and a can of pepper spray to keep the baddies at bay, but up against a knife-wielding maniac things can get a little tense.
Luckily, Police Constables Alex Prentice and Debbie Wishart were on the case, and these two know how to get the job done. PC Prentice was a former RAF soldier, but even that can't steel you from the moment a man threatens you with a knife.
"It’s not something we come across every day. Even though you prepare for these situations, they are still difficult to deal with."Captured on PC Prentice's body camera, a man wielding an eight inch kitchen knife spins around as the two officers approached the front door. Immediately he begins to get aggressive, and that's where the Constables' niceties ran out. The video can show just how fast things escalated in that front yard in Corby, Nottinghamshire, but the PCs kept their cool throughout.
Lee Vickers was eventually distracted, disarmed, and arrested for his attack on the cops, with Officer Prentice even catching the blade on his protective stab vest. Luckily, no one was hurt at the scene and Vickers didn't even need to head to the hospital for the smacks he received, courtesy of the bobby's baton. Vickers was arrested on numerous charges, including his obvious law-breaking lunges at the PCs. Lawyers have already spoken their cases in court, and Vickers will now go away for three years for his crimes.
PC Prentice says it's just another day in the life.
"It is not the first time we have had to deal with an incident like this but it is the first time I have been hit on the stab vest. If the knife had been two to three inches higher it would have caught me in the neck."The two constables have now received the Chief Constable’s Commendation in addition to each receiving The Boatman Shield in recognition of their exemplary bravery. In the words of the Northamptonshire Police,
"They both demonstrated courage, cool resilience and outstanding professionalism in the face of extreme danger."Couldn't have said it any better!