Awards for officers shot at by man with a crossbow

Ten police officers who attended to a man armed with a crossbow have been presented with Thames Valley Police Federation 2025 Bravery Awards.

On 10 May Jason King, 54, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, was involved in an argument with a neighbour, who he stabbed in the stomach.

When the unarmed officers arrived at the scene King shot at them with a crossbow out of his window, he later came out of his house and shot PC Curtis Foster in the leg.

Aileen O'Connor, the chair of Thames Valley Police Federation, said the officers displayed huge amounts of courage and prevented members of the public from being injured or killed.

PC Foster recalled: "He's got the crossbow and he's pointing it, and he's running directly towards me. In that moment I completely froze. He had the biggest grin on his face and he was running towards me."

He added that as he ran away from King he felt something hit the back of his leg and when he looked down there was a stream of blood.

King then continued to chase after PC Foster towards a park as PC Parker-Graham evacuated families, including a mother and her two young children, to safety.

Other officers provided first aid to the neighbour who had been stabbed.

PC Mark Thompson let his police dog, Merlyn, chase after King who then shot at them but missed.

Firearms officers PC Alexander Barker and PC Luke Wallis found King in the park hiding behind a tree and PC Wallis shot him before using first aid to treat his wound.

Sgt Ben Sarl located PC Foster and called paramedics to apply a tourniquet to his leg.

PC Foster was taken to hospital and recovered and the man who was stabbed by King was treated in hospital for minor injuries and discharged the same day.

King pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent and affray, possession of an offensive weapon and possession of a bladed article.

He is due to be sentenced in June.

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