Student police officer attacked with spray while making arrest in Walsall to be given bravery award

PC Ibbadat Thaman said he was "honoured" to hear he will be recognised with a West Midlands Police Federation Bravery Award.

The student officer, joined by his tutor, responded to reports of shoplifting at two supermarkets in High Road, Walsall, on July 23 last year.

Upon arrival at the scene, the officers found two men who matched the suspects' descriptions.

While Ibbadat’s tutor stopped one of them with the warning that he had a Taser, Ibbadat pursued the second, who grabbed the PAVA spray – a deterrent similar to pepper spray – out of his holster and sprayed him in the face.

The 23-year-old said: "I grabbed him and told him I needed to search him. He made off again and I caught him again.

"As I was taking my cuffs out, my PAVA was next to my cuffs and he grabbed it and sprayed me.

"I managed to turn my face away, and it went on my neck and then onto my face.

"I was struggling to see because of the PAVA, so I took my baton out and managed to use it to subdue him.

"I managed to cuff him and then support arrived. He was arrested and we found out he was wanted in connection with two other incidents, one in the West Midlands and another in Staffordshire."

Ibbadat will soon become the first recipient of the Bravery Award for the Walsall area, which has been sponsored by Thomson Financial Solutions Ltd.

The award ceremony will take place on January 31 at Tally Ho Conferencing and Banqueting Centre in Edgbaston, Birmingham.

Almost six months on, Ibbadat, who is from Wednesbury, said he has learned a lot from the incident.

He said: "The experience has taught me a lot. When you’re learning things in training, you don’t really know how the world is outside.

"Now I have more confidence in myself and managing situations and conflicts. I think it’s made me a better police officer."

Ibbadat was nominated for the award by Detective Inspector Helen Jackson, who said she was "proud" to see his efforts recognised.

She said: "My day job is Dct Insp in the Wolverhampton Investigation Team but on that particular day, I was covering as the Wolverhampton Response Inspector on Ibby’s shift.

"When the job came in, and I heard and saw how he responded, I didn't know initially that it was his first shift.

"The aftermath of the investigation sat with my investigation team, so I had seen it through from start to finish and felt immensely proud of one of our newest Wolverhampton officers, and how he had conducted himself in a situation that I am sure may have tested even the most experienced officers.

"I nominated Ibby for his immense bravery in such unique circumstances. He is a credit to himself, the team and the force."