A police officer accosted a man armed with a knife and a stun gun in Dorchester
Leonard T. Koonce
2 min read
An officer has been honored at the National Police Bravery Awards for tackling a man armed with a knife and a stun gun in Dorchester.
On Wednesday March 6, 2019, Sergeant Natalie Skinner, Constable at the time, and Constable Anthony Elswood, of the Dorchester Neighborhood Policing Team, arrived at an incident to join their colleague, the Constable Mark Powell. They were responding to the call of two drunken men wandering down the main road.
Upon arrival, Sergeant Skinner got out of his police vehicle and saw the men driving away. She approached the man closest to her, whom police had previously arrested for assault and supplying drugs.
Sergeant Skinner asked that he stay where he was. Still, he kept up his pace and the chase continued until shortly after the man tripped and slipped. Sergeant Skinner again ordered him to stay where he was.
As the man got to his feet, Sergeant Skinner saw him pull something out of his jacket, which she thought was a large combat knife. PC Skinner drew his Taser. The man kept running, but she shouted that she was a Taser-trained officer and that he had to stop where he was.
Sergeant Skinner managed to grab her arm, but the man turned and raised a stun gun at her. The man was standing high, pointing the camera close to Sergeant Skinner’s head.
Sergeant Skinner fired his Taser but unfortunately missed. With a little more distance between them, she fired the Taser again, successfully incapacitating the man.
Sergeant Skinner arrested the man for possession of a prohibited weapon and possession with intent to supply controlled drugs.
Chief Constable Scott Chilton of Dorset Police said: ‘I am incredibly proud of Natalie for her outstanding bravery and professionalism during this dangerous incident. Her quick decisions and actions protected her and her colleagues and removed a dangerous individual from the streets of Dorset. Natalie’s actions demonstrate the courage of our staff to face danger to keep people safe. »
