Cop stepped over useless canine in horror home earlier than being stabbed by man hurling bricks
A police officer was stabbed after chasing a dangerous man into in a rat infested house of horrors where he had to step over a dead dog. PC Andy Collis, based in Llandudno, North Wales responded to reports of a man hurling bricks in the middle of the street.
Although the call wasn’t assigned to him, he realised his proximity to the incident and headed to the scene in an unmarked vehicle. Andy, who joined the force in January 2001, said: “As soon as I got out of my car, he just started shouting at me – and what he was saying made no sense at all.
“He turned around and ran down the driveway of the property. I knew almost immediately that he needed to be detained.” As he chased the suspect through the rear of a house, the officer stepped over the body of a large dead dog blocking the doorway – which he described as “deeply unsettling,” reports North Wales Live.
“The kitchen was dark, with boarded-up windows and rats running across the floor,” he continued, adding: “The suspect, still shouting incomprehensibly, began throwing objects at the officer from across a breakfast bar.”
Drawing his PAVA spray, the officer discharged it and tried to restrain the man, who then fled into the hallway. As the officer caught up and grabbed him near the front door, the situation took a dramatic turn.
“I didn’t even realise he had a knife. I just felt my midriff pushed back as hard as it could,” said Andy, who recalled looking down and seeing the blade being withdrawn from his body armour. The suspect then attempted to stab him again, targeting areas below the protective vest.
“He was using all his strength to try and force the knife into me,” Andy said. “If it wasn’t for that body armour, I wouldn’t be here.”
Despite the wound and the shock, Andy kept fighting, concentrating entirely on disarming the suspect. Following a lengthy tussle, during which the attacker switched the knife between hands, the officer managed to knock the weapon to the ground and secure one handcuff.
A colleague turned up moments later with a Taser, but Andy called for help instead, knowing the knife was already beyond reach. Together, they overpowered and restrained the suspect. Extra officers soon arrived at the scene.
Andy suffered cuts to his hands and was affected by the PAVA spray, but his wounds were otherwise minor. He received treatment at hospital before returning to duty the same evening.
“I went straight back to work – that was my way of dealing with it,” he said.
The suspect was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. However, the case was later dropped after it was determined he lacked the mental capacity to face prosecution. In honour of his actions, the officer was awarded a Force bravery award later that year and has now been put forward for a national Police Bravery Award.
He will be representing North Wales Police at the national event this summer. Reflecting on the incident, the officer said it hasn’t put him off frontline policing but has made him more alert.
“If anything, it sharpens you. You become more aware, more thorough,” he said. “Now it’s always – show me your hands, immediately. I’ve learned to never let your guard down.”
Despite the ordeal, he remains dedicated to his role. “I’d do the same again,” he added. “I feel lucky to have come out alive.”
Chair of North Wales Police Federation Trystan Bevan said: “Andy’s courage and quick thinking in the face of extreme danger is a testament to the bravery shown by officers every day.
“We wish him the very best of luck at this year’s national Police Bravery Awards. He has already done himself, his colleagues and the Federation immensely proud.”
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