Hero cops are praised for quick-thinking in helping man who had severed artery

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A team of hero police officers have been recognised for their bravery in helping a knife-wielding man with mental issues who had seriously injured himself by severing an artery.The officers from West Lothian were recognised at the prestigious Scottish First Aid Awards ceremony held in Glasgow on Friday.The annual event, organised by Scotland’s only dedicated first aid charity, St Andrew’s First Aid, saw Police Constables Rachael Hendry, Chris Smart, Nikki Smith and David Jones from the East J Division, take home the Chairman’s Award in recognition of a heroic act of bravery and first aid intervention in the face of a high risk situation.Responding to reports of a gas leak in a residential area in Edinburgh City Centre, PCs Hendry and Smart didn’t hesitate to place themselves at the front line, protecting other first responders from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Scottish Gas Engineers, when they were unexpectedly met with a knife-wielding man.The man, who was suffering from a mental health related episode, had severe self-inflicted wounds, one of which had severed an artery.

The officers calmly de-escalated the situation as they attempted to negotiate with him to allow them to administer first aid, while calling for back up.As PCs Smith and Jones arrived on the scene, the four officers provided life-saving treatment, stemming the source of blood loss until paramedics arrived.

The calm and swift actions taken saved the man’s life, before they then evacuated the wider building to ensure the safety of the public amidst the gas leak.Following emergency surgery, the injured man recovered and was provided with further mental health support.Police Constable Chris Smart said: “In this job, you never quite know what