Derbyshire Officer Praised for Bravery in Saving Self-Harming Man's Life

A Derbyshire police officer has been commended for tremendous bravery after removing her protective vest to squeeze through a narrow gap and save a man who was self-harming, the BBC reported.

PC Louisa Anderson, of Derbyshire Police, attended a call to a barricaded flat in June 2025 alongside a colleague to assist in executing a warrant. After drilling the lock, officers opened the door narrowly and saw a man repeatedly stabbing himself, according to the Police Federation of England and Wales.

Anderson removed her body armour to fit through the opening, then deployed her Taser and issued a clear verbal warning. When the man fell back, she squeezed into the property. As the Taser cycle ended and the man resumed self-harming, Anderson deployed it again, allowing her to disarm him and secure the knife.

Once the weapon was removed, she administered urgent first aid and worked to stabilise the man until further assistance arrived, the federation said.

Chief Constable Rachel Swann said Anderson's actions saved the man's life, adding that she "showed outstanding courage and compassion in an extremely difficult and fast-moving situation."

Anderson has been nominated for an honour at this year's national Police Bravery Awards, due to take place on Thursday.