Cheshire nominee for the National Police Bravery Awards

A Cheshire Police officer who saved the life of a woman, who was trying to throw herself onto a railway line, has been nominated for the Police Bravery Awards.

On 28 January 2022, Sgt Steven Munday attended the junction of Earle Street and Thomas Street in Crewe, following reports of a young woman on the roof of a building. She was threatening to jump from the flat roof onto a railway track 30ft below; the young woman was known to the police for self-harming and having suicidal thoughts.

Sgt Munday quickly assessed and took command of this serious situation, ensuring that road closures were put in place, along with a request for the power on the railway line to be switched off and trains to be stopped.

While assessing the safest possible way to encourage the woman to get down from the roof to a position of safety, Sgt Munday spotted a set of ladders in a pub garden. He then received information that the young woman had slipped off the roof and was now hanging over the railway line, holding onto the edge of the roof by her fingertips.

Displaying clear thinking under pressure, Sgt Munday ran down two sets of stairs to grab the ladders, and quickly put them up. He climbed up to the top of the wall, then walked along a narrow ledge with a sheer drop before gaining access to the flat roof.

Once on the roof, Sgt Munday grabbed hold of the now frantic young woman by her upper arms. Using his own strength and body weight, he pulled her back onto the top of the roof, which was only 6ft wide. She offered active resistance and he grappled with her but managed to detain her safely on the top of the roof, getting her as far away from the edge as possible.

Once the woman was safely detained, other officers and emergency services assisted and brought her down from the roof.

Cheshire Police Federation Chairman Jamie Thompson said:

“Throughout this incident the young woman was in an agitated state and there was a danger that, in trying to stop her from falling, Sgt Munday would also be pulled over the edge of the roof.

“Yet he put the young woman’s safety before his own and demonstrated the very best of policing values, helping those in need at critical moments in their lives. His quick, courageous and decisive actions saved this woman’s life.”

The Police Bravery Awards are in London this Thursday and are sponsored by Police Mutual.