It was the advanced medical training of firearms officers which helped save a man’s life after he fell from the top floor window of a house.
The serious event is showcased in tonight’s episode of Police Interceptors, which launches with a dramatic siege after a man armed with a machete is seen barricaded in a house in Sutton-in-Ashfield.
In the programme, which was due to be aired two weeks ago but was pulled last minute due to a change in Channel 5’s listings, officers had been called to a report that a woman had been attacked with a knife moments before and she had been taken to hospital.
The man behind the attack had subsequently locked himself in the property and was making threats at officers.
Armed officers from Nottinghamshire Police began negotiating with the man when he suddenly plummeted to the ground from a top floor window.
In the video, a man can be seen lying on the ground at the feet of multiple officers as they spring into action to save his life ahead of an ambulance coming.
The incident, which happened in the Collins Avenue area at around 5.15pm on Thursday 20 August 2020, was very frightening for all those involved.
PC Phil Broughton, who was standing feet away from where the man fell and was one of the officers administering first aid, said: “I had just managed to get his attention and was talking to him calmly as he stood at the top floor window.
“I was able to get a good view of him, he was clearly irate and wasn’t making much sense and appeared to have several facial injuries himself. Then all of a sudden he had toppled out and was lying on the ground next to me.
“In those situations, there is no time to think, it quickly becomes a medical emergency and a real team effort in order to save this man’s life.”
PC Broughton and the team are all qualified with advanced first aid training, which they are regularly updated on. Using specialist first aid equipment from the armed response vehicles, they were able to prevent the man from moving and assess his breathing. They also scanned his body for any other injuries whilst constantly talking to him in order to keep him calm and coherent.
When the ambulance arrived, the team supported paramedics in order to get the man safely in the vehicle and enroute to hospital.
He had suffered a head injury and was in a coma for two days. Miraculously he had no broken bones suffering only bruising and whiplash and ended up making a full physical recovery.
PC Broughton added: “We undertake regular, advanced first aid training. We’re often in very volatile situations which can change at any moment so it’s vital that we know what to do if things take a turn for the worst.
“The training consists of going into the in-depth treatment of stabbings, gunshot wounds and injuries caused by serious road traffic collisions. We are able to stablise airways through nasal tubes and also get training on the use of defibrillators.”
Following his treatment, the man subsequently pleaded guilty to possessing a bladed article and actual bodily harm and was sentenced to one year and six months in prison on 25 February 2021.
On dealing with a medical emergency, PC Broughton said: “You don’t really pay much attention to the trauma of the situation, you sort of have to switch off from it and it becomes about remaining calm whilst working together with your colleagues. You have confidence in each other as we’ve all had the same training so we’ve all got the same focus and can help each other out.”
PC Broughton has been with Nottinghamshire Police for more than 20 years. He started out as a local response officer in Kirkby-in-Ashfield before working on the beat team at Sutton-in-Ashfield where he became beat manager. He then took part in various proactive teams dealing with issues like antisocial behaviour and subsequently moved on to the prisoner handling team. He has just taken up his latest role on roads policing after being with the firearms department for five years.
He said: “I’m lucky enough to have experienced lots of roles within Nottinghamshire Police during my 21 years. I thoroughly enjoy all aspects of working here… it’s exciting and you get to experience a bit of everything from responding to incidents to conducting investigations.
“I really enjoy being involved in the thick of the action and the team ethos here is second to none. It’s great to be able to support your colleagues on a daily basis and the team ethos within our department is a pleasure to be part of.”
The intrepid officer will be watching the Interceptors show tonight alongside his family. The programme also features a tricky trio who are suspected of stealing an old man’s car; a race against time to find evidence following a report of a stabbing; and a driver caught red handed when he drops a bag of white powder in front of roads policing officers.
Catch all this and more every Wednesday on Channel 5.
