Hero police officers from Glasgow and beyond were nominated for special awards for their bravery.
The cops will be recognised for lifesaving acts of bravery and commitment to their communities at a special awards ceremony this month.
A total of 20 officers, including constables, campus cops, detectives and probationers, have been shortlisted for the Scottish Police Federation’s annual awards.
It includes PCs Andrew McLaughlin and Ibrahim Malik, who arrested a dangerous suspect despite being rammed by a vehicle in a scene described as being like “something out a film”.
On PC Malik's first day, the pair were repeatedly attacked and faced a number of threats to their lives during the incident in Hamilton, Lanarkshire.
They were involved in a “high octane” car chase, with their vehicle being rammed several times by the suspect, who had “access to weapons”.
PC McLaughlin and PC Malik were able to successfully apprehend him when he made off on foot after deserting the stolen vehicle he’d been driving.
The constables have been nominated for the Team Bravery prize, along with PCs Gary Hutchison, Andrew Glen, Paul Lambert and Keir Samson who have been credited with saving the lives of two people during a stabbing incident in Glasgow.
Three officers have also been shortlisted for the Individual Bravery award including PC Christopher Martin who stopped an armed man from entering a Glasgow hospital when he was still in his probationary period.
Other nominees include police negotiator Christopher Taggart, who has successfully intervened in dozens of incidents and David Watt, a campus cop in Glasgow who works tirelessly to support pupils.
David Threadgold, chair of the Scottish Police Federation, said: “Our annual awards are designed to recognise and celebrate the individual and team acts of bravery and dedication to our communities that we see day in, day out in policing.
“We are incredibly proud of all our nominees, and while there can only be one winner in each category, we are grateful to each of them for their amazing achievements.
“Police officers continue to face unprecedented challenges, but these awards are an opportunity to pause and reflect on the fantastic work that they do.
“These stories reflect what being a police officer is all about and we wish everyone who has been nominated the very best of luck on the night.”
Chief Constable Jo Farrell said: “Policing brings huge value to our communities: keeping people safe from harm, protecting the vulnerable, bringing criminals to justice, solving problems and reducing offending.
“These awards shine a light on how officers stand up for and with our communities and I am extremely grateful to the Scottish Police Federation.
“I commend and thank all police officers and their families for their commitment to public service and offer my warmest congratulations to award nominees and recipients.”
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The full list of nominees are:
Group Bravery
Andrew McLaughlin and Ibrahim Malik – Duo risked their life to arrest dangerous man in scene like ‘something out of a film’
Gary Hutchison, Andrew Glen, Paul Lambert and Keir Samson – Officers credited with saving lives amid knife incident in Glasgow
Individual Bravery
Christopher Martin – Probationer stopped armed man from entering hospital
Evie Coultas – Off-duty female officer risked her own safety to stop attack
Paul Phillips – PC who was driving home with young family leapt out of car to tackle armed man
Cops’ Cop of the Year
Christine McLanachan – Inspirational DC who is ‘always first in the door and last to leave’
Christopher Pemberton – PC with an ‘unrivalled’ work ethic helps officers with everything from fitness to mortgage applications
Unsung Hero
Christopher Taggart – Negotiator who saves lives through his hard work and compassion
David Watt – Campus cop who’s won the trust of pupils and the community
Laura Gibson – PI praised for tackling the stigma of mental health
Community Commitment
Andrew Leishman – Officer’s dedication and commitment ‘the reason communities allow us to police by consent’
Glen Sives – Post-humous nomination for officer who raised thousands for charity
Laura Evans – Constable who relocated to rural Scotland now dedicates her life to helping most vulnerable.
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