Award for police who arrested gunman after explosion

Five police officers who confronted a gunman who was armed with two explosive bags have been honoured at the National Police Bravery Awards.

Damian Mazurkiewicz, 54, set off one device which emitted a cloud of smoke in a property in Gosport, Hampshire, in August 2023.

He took aim at officers with the imitation weapon and also attempted to detonate an improvised shrapnel bomb, police said.

Sgt David Gibbs, PC Tim Clarkson, PC Scott Thomson, PC Nathan Fulton and PC Emma Davies won regional awards at the annual Police Federation event on Thursday.

The officers broke into the Carr Court address on 28 August to arrest Mazurkiewicz for an unrelated matter.

They found him holding a gun to his head and wearing two devices with wires protruding from one of them.

Damian Mazurkiewicz was later jailed for four years and three months

On police body-worn video of the incident, an officer repeatedly shouted: "Put the gun down" before Mazurkiewicz pushed a button, setting off the smoke.

He was immediately Tasered and handcuffed.

On the video, an officer shouted: "I don't know what he's got there, I don't know what he's got", while another ordered: "Get him out".

After being carried outside, the smoking bag was removed and thrown away.

However, Mazurkiewicz then grabbed the second device, the Police Federation said.

An officer shouted: "Stop what you're doing" and the bag was cut away with scissors, the video showed.

Sgt David Gibbs, PC Tim Clarkson, PC Scott Thomson, PC Nathan Fulton and PC Emma Davies won bravery awards

The Police Federation said it was found to be a viable device filled with broken glass and ball bearings.

It said: "Thankfully the bomb had not detonated properly. EOD (a military Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit which attended) said that if it had, there would be serious injuries if not fatalities."

Mazurkiewicz was later jailed for four years and three months for offences including acting with intent to cause an explosion.

The officers faced a "terrifying" situation with "huge courage", Police Federation Chair Zoë Wakefield said.

She added: "If it hadn’t been for their actions there would surely have been serious injuries, if not fatalities."