Commendation for brave police officer who tackled Buxton knifeman

Sergeant Trevor Steed getting an award from Chief Consatble Mick Creedon for tackling a knifeman in Buxton

One officer was injured while protecting public safety and a detective was honoured for bringing a man with an arsenal of weapons to justice.

Sergeant Trevor Steed was just about to go off duty on September, 5, 2015, when he was called to Buxton market place to reports of a man acting suspiciously.

Chief Constable Mick Creedon said: “It is with great credit that Sergeant Steed’s bravery and professionalism, despite suffering a stab wound, brought the incident to a safe conclusion without harm to any members of the public.”

When officers arrived they were confronted by a man holding a knife.

As Sergeant Steed tried to intervene, the man turned the knife on him.

Sergeant Steed defended himself from slashing attacks launched by the knifeman,sustaining a cut to his arm.

Despite this ongoing attack, he tried to calm the man down. Although this was unsuccessful he kept the aggressive knifeman occupied and away from members of the public until he was eventually cornered.

Mr Creedon said: “Sergeant Steed has now thankfully recovered from his injury and returned to normal duties.”

Last month a 32-year-old man appeared before Derby Crown Court charged with wounding with intent to do serious bodily harm and was sent to prison for six years.

Detective Laura Weston was also honoured for her work with international agencies in the apprehension of a dangerous man, at the presentation evening which took place in Ripley on Monday, February 22.

In August 2015, Dominic Birch, from Harpur Hill, Buxton, was jailed for 11 years for keeping an arsenal of weapons including a submachine gun and hundreds of rounds of live ammunition in his bedroom that he had bought online.

He was originally charged after police intercepted a package heading to his house containing an Uzi machine gun and was due to be sentenced in February last year.

While on bail, officers received intelligence he had illegally purchased a handgun, silencer and ammunition.

His home and workplace were raided by the police and more guns were found, as well as a significant quantity of illegal drugs.

Chief Constable Creedon added: “Working with the National Crime Agency, the Metropolitan Police’s Operation Trident and Area Crime Command, and law enforcement agencies across Europe and the USA, Detective Constable Weston was able to recover these firearms and further led to the arrest of the original suppliers.”