Police officer acted as human shield in dog attack

PC O'Brien said he did what any of his colleagues would have done

A police officer who acted as a human shield to get a dangerous dog away from a seriously injured woman is up for a national bravery award.

PC Matt O’Brien, from Daventry, Northamptonshire, has been nominated for the Police Bravery Awards 2024 for his actions when a dog attacked a woman and a child last year.

With only a dog pole and a shield, he put himself between the animal and the seriously injured woman.

The county's Police Federation said PC O'Brien "put his own life on the line".

When he arrived in Ericsson Close, Daventry, after police were called on 8 July last year, PC O'Brien was told a dog had attacked a young girl who had sustained serious head injuries.

It had also bitten a woman who had suffered a serious neck injury.

The child had been rescued by members of the public, but the injured woman was still in the garden with the dog.

PC O'Brien armed himself with a dog pole and a shield and climbed over the fence to put himself between the woman and the dog.

He then secured the dog so the woman could receive emergency first aid.

Both victims were taken to hospital with serious injuries which turned out not to be life-changing.

The attack happened on Ericcson Close in Daventry

PC O'Brien has been nominated for a Police Federation Bravery Award and will find out later if he has won.

He said: “What I did was something any of my colleagues would have done, I just was in the right place at the right time."

The officers who attended the incident later organised a collection to buy gifts for the injured girl as she recovered.

Acting Chief Constable, Ivan Balhatchet, said PC O'Brien would be a worthy winner

Northamptonshire Police’s Acting Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet said PC O'Brien "would be a worthy winner and embodies the selfless bravery shown day in, day out, by police officers across the country".

Sam Dobbs from the Police Federation said PC O'Brien "undoubtedly" saved two lives

Sam Dobbs, who chairs the Northamptonshire Police Federation, praised PC O'Brien for his "exceptionally courageous actions".

He said: "Matt put his own life on the line that day. He came face-to-face with danger and, in true policing style, prioritised the safety of the public instead of his own.

“His actions undoubtedly saved the lives of both the young girl and the woman."