Two police officers who took on a knife-wielding attacker at a Birmingham mosque have won bravery awards.
PC Adam Koch, who was stabbed twice through his armoured vest, and PC Jean Stevens disarmed and arrested Mohamoud Elmi in June 2013.
The officers were recognised at the Police Bravery Awards, the first joint winners of the overall award.
The awards ceremony took place in central London on Tuesday night.
PC Koch had fired his Taser at Mohammed Elmi to no effect, and the attacker stabbed the officer in his shoulder and abdomen.
But, with the help of worshippers at the Madrassa Qasim Ul Uloom centre, he managed to hold Elmi down while PC Stevens arrested him.
Elmi, who was declared insane at his trial, stabbed three other people at the mosque.
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PC Koch said: “If it hadn’t have been for a combined effort from everybody involved, I’ve got no doubt that either I or the both of us wouldn’t be here to tell the tale.”
PC Stevens said she thought her colleague was dead following the struggle to disarm Elmi, and praised his bravery during the “horrendous” scene.
“You expect to come across all kinds of situations in our job, but you don’t expect to watch a colleague get so seriously injured.”
