Brave PC to be honoured at national awards ceremony

8 July 2022

An off-duty West Midlands Police officer who tackled a knife-wielding thug after he stabbed a man outside school gates will be recognised for his bravery at the 2022 National Police Bravery Awards in London next week.

Detective Constable Mark Bates has previously spoken of his surprise at being nominated, insisting he was “just doing my job” when he leapt into action to disarm and detain the attacker and said he was amazed when told he had been put forward for the prestigious award.

He said: “I just acted instinctively as any police officer would. It’s my duty to protect the public at whatever cost to me and I would do the same again.

“As a police officer you are never really off duty and you should step up in these situations.

“I didn’t really think about it to be fair but he obviously could have stabbed me and potentially killed me.”

DC Bates has recently joined the West Midlands Police drug expert witness team but the bulk of his career has been spent working on gangs and organised crime and homicide so has first-hand experience of the devastating results of knife crime.

He said: “I have seen plenty of people who have been stabbed to death, sometimes from a single stab wound, so I appreciate the dangers but I honestly didn’t think about it at the time.”

The shocking incident for which he has received the bravery citation happened quickly and was all over within a few minutes.

It began to unfold when two men and a woman, who were drinking alcohol and smoking cannabis, started abusing parents as they waited for their children outside Water Orton School on 1 July last year.

A man approached the group to ask them to stop but he was attacked by Kyle Youlden (21) who stabbed him in the arm before running off.

DC Mark Bates

DC Bates and the injured victim gave chase and caught up with Youlden with the officer disarming him and pinning him down until officers from Warwickshire Police arrived.

He then went in search of the other man and woman who had been causing trouble at the school gates and, after a brief chase, detained and disarmed the other male suspect who was also found to be in possession of a knife.

West Midlands Police Federation secretary Tim Rogers, who nominated the officer for the bravery award, said: “Mark has played down his role in this incident but the fact is his brave actions could well have prevented loss of life or serious injury to members of the public.

“He didn’t think twice about intervening and tackling a man armed with a knife and in doing so showed great courage and determination.

“Officers like Mark will always say they were just doing their jobs but he is a credit to West Midlands Police. We are very proud of him and he should be very proud of himself.”

Youlden, of Moseley, was jailed for two years and three months after admitting wounding and possession of a knife when he appeared at Warwick Crown Court.

The Police Bravery Awards are organised by the Police Federation of England and Wales and will take place in London on 14 July. The annual awards honour some of the finest officers in England and Wales who have performed incredible acts of bravery, while on or off duty.

Winners of the eight regional awards will go forward for the overall national award.