Congratulations to PC Jordan Janaway, and we look forward to celebrating her at the Awards next month.
At 4 p.m. on November 14, 2020, PC Janaway, who had only been a police officer for a few months, was off-duty and driving along the M3 to work.
As she approached Winchester, she noticed a vehicle parked in the hatched area that separates the slip road from the first lane of the motorway. She then noticed a man in front of the vehicle, frantically waving his arms. Another man was lying on the ground, partially in the live lane, which was her lane, and she had to brake hard to avoid hitting him.
She got out to assist the driver of the stopped vehicle, who said the man had stepped out in front of him and he had hit him. They both dragged the man out of the fast lane and to safety on the hard shoulder.
The injured man was conscious but bleeding from his head. Another motorist approached and stated that the injured man had just tried to attack him with a hammer and that the man had also been fighting with someone else.
PC Janaway then noticed a hammer in lane two of the highway. The injured man began to speak and attempted to get up and move towards the carriageway, so PC Janaway and the member of the public assisting her had to restrain him to prevent him from moving into the live lane.
The injured man then began to pull PC Janaway down towards him, attempting to sexually assault her, and she had to use additional force to stop him. The man was restrained until on-duty officers arrived and handcuffed him.
The man had previously attacked his father with a hammer while in a van on the M3 and had attempted to attack others in a violent mental health crisis.
Jordan demonstrated enormous bravery and integrity by stopping to assist with this incident while off-duty, at great risk to herself,” said Hampshire Police Federation Chair Zo Wakefield.
Jordan almost certainly prevented this man’s death by pulling him out of the live carriageway and then holding him down, despite the fact that he was a large, strong man.” We are very proud of her actions.
The National Police Bravery Awards recognise officers from across England and Wales who have displayed extraordinary bravery while on or off duty.
PC Janaway will attend a reception and an awards ceremony in London in July as a nominee.