Off-duty police officer chases down man wanted in attempted murder investigation

An off-duty police officer arrested a man wanted in an attempted murder investigation while on a day out in Southend with his family. PC Harry Lavell pursued the man, who had a knife, and single-handedly arrested and detained him shortly after lunch on June 28 2024. Now the officer has been commended by Essex Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington for his bravery.

Harry was leaving a cafe with his partner, their young daughter and his father-in-law when he spotted two groups of youths who seemed to be antagonising each other. A fight quickly broke out and, to diffuse the situation, Harry ran towards it, shouting ‘Police!’ loudly. Some of the youths ran off but one of them ran towards Harry and his family.

Harry made sure his family were at a safe distance and then tackled the man to the ground. “But then I heard shouts of ‘He’s got a knife!’,” he says. “Once you know a knife is involved that escalates the situation because you have to minimise the danger to the public as well as to yourself. So I left the man on the ground and asked for a description of the man who was said to have a knife.

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“I spotted him running away and went straight after him, saw him throw something in a bin and heard it clang. I caught up with him, arrested him for possession of an offensive weapon and detained him while I waited for local officers to arrive, as I knew they had already been called by a member of the public,” adds Harry, a Metropolitan Police officer.

Southend Local Policing Team officers were soon at the scene in Southend High Street. Harry directed them to the bin, where a knife was recovered, and the man was taken to custody. He was subsequently revealed to be a suspect in an attempted murder the month before. Of his Commendation, Harry says modestly: “It was a pleasant surprise to be commended. Police officers up and down the country do this sort of thing every single day.”

Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington says: “In this country we expect our police officers to run towards danger but it is right to recognise them when they do. Although he was off-duty, PC Lavell did not hesitate, firstly, to deal with a fight and then, when he knew a knife may be involved, to confront that danger, too.

“Thankfully, no-one was hurt in the incident but, thanks to PC Lavell, a man was arrested on suspicion of not one but two crimes of serious violence and a dangerous weapon was taken off our streets. That’s top work on a day off.”