Off-duty cop tackles axe-wielding woman after row on Wolverhampton bus
An off-duty police officer tackled a 'raging' woman armed with an axe after violence spilled onto a bus in Wolverhampton.
The woman was eventually tasered by police after she was later spotted swinging the deadly weapon in the street.
Pc Ken Morris was travelling on a bus in Hordern Road, in Whitmore Reans, at 11.30pm on Tuesday when a man jumped aboard, followed by a woman yelling and screaming abuse.
The 60-year-old officer intervened in a bid to diffuse the row and ushered the woman into the street – but moments later she returned with a foot-long axe.
When other police arrived, the woman had to be tasered as she continued to approach them with the weapon and she was arrested.
The 45-year-old remains in police custody – on suspicion of a public order offence and possessing an offensive weapon.
Pc Morris said: "She was really raging, with mad eyes, and I thought to myself 'oh dear, this could get nasty'.
"I was shouting at her to drop the axe and hand it over but she refused and at one stage raised it up over her shoulder.
"I kept myself between her and the man – he couldn't speak much English but was clearly terrified and kept repeating 'please help me' – and after a bit of a stand-off the woman walked off down the road still swinging the axe."
Pc Morris – who works in Force Support tackling emerging issues and police priorities – dialled 999 for police back-up and followed the woman into Farndale Avenue.
He said: "I had to keep an eye on her as she was a potential danger to the public.
"As I was walking, I directed a response crew to the scene – and they arrived just in time as the woman had doubled back and came at me with the axe.
"She was about 10 yards away when officers landed and warned the woman they were armed with tasers.
"She ignored their warnings and approached them with the weapon before being tasered and arrested.
"It was all over in a matter of minutes, a real adrenalin rush.
"I had only just finished my late shift but knew I had to intervene as there were about nine people on the bus who could have been at risk.
Chief Inspector Andy Keast, force incident manager, hailed the actions of the off-duty officer in putting himself between the axe woman and bus passengers.
He added: "It appears there was a violent disorder inside a property in Farndale Avenue that ended with a man being followed out a house with a woman carrying an axe.
"Both got on the bus, it was clearly a shocking situation for the passengers and driver but our officer put himself in harm’s way in order to protect the public.
“He managed to get the woman off the bus before back-up arrived.
"The incident was brought to a safe conclusion and the woman is now in police custody for questioning.
“I understand the officer was on his way home after a late shift.
"He acted with great courage to confront someone armed with an axe – it just goes to show that police officers are never truly ‘off duty’ and regularly step in to help the public even out of uniform.”
