Man honoured with bravery award for intervening in Pewsey stabbing
Gary Franklin stepped in to help on the High Street in September 2023
A man who intervened in a stabbing in a Wilshire village has won a gold award at the annual Police Public Bravery Awards.
It's after an incident back in September last year, when a violent altercation broke out on the High Street in Pewsey.
Gary Franklin left his car, took the knife from the suspect and at the same time told bystanders to help the victim who had been stabbed multiple times.
He also sought out a store manager to request a first aid kit and gave the proper application of bandages to effectively stemmed the victim’s blood flow, providing crucial care before emergency services could arrive.
The defendant in the case has since been found guilty of GBH and is on remand awaiting sentencing.
Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police, Lauren Poultney, hosted the awards ceremony in Sheffield, and said:
“Gary demonstrated extraordinary courage, leadership and selfless dedication to the safety and wellbeing of others. He was also humble in his account when speaking to officers afterwards.
“Every day we ask our police officers to put themselves between harm and the public. Even with training, safety equipment and support from other police officers, this takes great bravery to deliver.
"But when members of the public support another person - often a stranger - or support the police in their jobs they do so without the same training or knowledge. This outstanding courage needs to be recognised and it is my honour to do so through the Police Public Bravery Awards.”
Other winners on the night included people who jumped into rivers to rescue strangers and assisted police struggling to detain violent suspects.
Chief Constable Catherine Roper attended the awards on behalf of Wiltshire Police. She said:
“I was so very honoured and proud to be present to celebrate the incredible actions of Gary Franklin. There is no doubt that the action he took was heroic, and he is so very deserving of the recognition he received.
Gary put his own safety aside to protect others, and I thank him for his incredible bravery and selflessness in helping keep people safe.”