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Police Bravery Awards 2021

‘There was no choice

to make - I had to

stop him before he

killed someone’

n off-duty police officer has been
nominated for a bravery award after
Atackling a knifeman who stabbed an
emergency services worker in the heart.
West Midlands PC Matthew Evans
witnessed the attack near the Royal London
Hospital, in Whitechapel, in October 2019.
He immediately intervened, putting himself
between the attacker, Mohammed Alinoor
Uddin, and his victim.
PC Evans (42) then chased Uddin as he
fled. He tackled and disarmed the man, who
was high on drink and drugs, before holding
him on the ground until Metropolitan Police
officers arrived.
PC Evans was bitten on the hand by
Uddin and also abused by a hostile crowd
that gathered, with some trying to prevent
him from holding the suspect.
The officer was taken to St Thomas’
Hospital, in central London, to receive
treatment for the bite before giving up the
rest of his day off to attend Stoke Newington
Police Station, meeting the investigation
team and providing a recorded witness
interview.
His compelling evidence for the Crown
Prosecution Service saw Uddin convicted of PC Matthew Evans.
wounding with intent at The Old Bailey and for the victim”. safety, he was simply determined to catch a
jailed for 12 years and nine months in March Recalling the attack, PC Evans said: violent individual. He was then subjected to
2020. He had previous convictions for “When I saw the guy being stabbed, for me an assault himself, but his tenacity showed
robbery and possessing knives in public. there wasn’t a choice to make - I had to stop through to ensure this male was unable to
The victim of the knife attack survived him before he killed someone. escape and the knife he had with him was
after emergency surgery at the Royal London “I’m glad everything turned out well in recovered.
Hospital. the end. The doctors, nurses and hospital “PC Evans went above and beyond to
PC Evans, an officer with 22 years’ service staff performed a miracle in saving that ensure the offender was captured. He did
and based at Birmingham West NPU, has man’s life.” more than many people would have done,
already received a Deputy Commissioner’s Jon Nott, chair of West Midlands Police putting himself in harm’s way to catch a
award from the Metropolitan Police. Federation, said: “PC Evans acted in the dangerous man. He has rightly been
He has now been nominated by West finest traditions of British policing when he commended for the courage he displayed.”
Midlands Police Federation for the Police fearlessly tackled this violent offender. Sir David Thompson, the Chief Constable
Federation’s Police Bravery Awards 2021. “He was utterly exceptional and beyond of West Midlands Police, said: “Matt is a
The senior investigating officer, Detective brave. He chased and detained a suspect cracking officer. He is a big presence in
Gavin Markey, said the attack would likely with a knife, knowing that he had just Birmingham city centre and an outstanding
have continued but for PC Evans’ viciously stabbed another man in the street. nominee for this selfless act. He is one of our
intervention, with “the outcome far worse “With absolutely no regard for his own finest.”

www.polfed.org/westmids federation October/November 2021 15