A Metropolitan Police officer who tackled an armed man who pointed a gun at his head has won a London Police Bravery Award.
At 5am on 7 October 2023, the Metropolitan Police received a call from a concerned person saying that their friend had messaged them and said he had cut his wrists and wanted to die.
PC James McDowall and a colleague were dispatched to an address in Tower Hamlets. When they arrived, family members opened the door and directed the officers to the man’s bedroom.
The bedroom was locked, so PC McDowall and his colleague knocked on the door and asked if he was safe and well. They explained calmly that he needed to open the door so that they could see him and check on his welfare.
Meanwhile several members of the man’s family had gathered on the landing. The man turned hostile and shouted back at the officers, telling them to leave the house and yelling profanities at them.
When the man stopped shouting, there was a moment of silence and then the sound of a firearm being racked. The bedroom door opened and the man stood in the doorway with a gun in his hand.
PC McDowall recalled: “I heard a rattling metal sound and thought: ‘Is that what I think it is?’. I backed off slightly, then the door opened and I saw he was holding what looked to be a black handgun. Throughout my career I don’t think I’ve ever really feared for my safety before, but I did then.
“I could see his hand was starting to come up, and I thought: ‘I don’t want him doing anything stupid towards me or his family.’ I was wearing body armour, but his family didn’t have any protection. I figured if something’s going to happen, I’d rather it happen to me.”
The man pointed the gun at PC McDowall.
“I ran at him and pushed him back into the room. I was just focused on grabbing his hand,” recalls the officer.
Both officers then tackled the man onto a bed. PC McDowall grabbed the firearm out of the man’s hand and there was a struggle, but they eventually managed to handcuff and arrest him.
The gun was seized and it was later found to be an air pistol – although at the time the officers did not know this. The man was taken into custody. At the time of writing the CPS has discontinued the case but there has been a request for a review.
PC McDowall said: “Once we got to custody, my adrenaline went down and I was very, very relieved. I work with insanely brave people every day and I’d like to think that most of them would step up in the same way.”
When he heard that he had won a London Police Bravery Award, PC McDowall said he’d felt “disbelief”, but that his family were proud of him.
Matt Cane, General Secretary of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said: “This was an alarming and scary incident. Thankfully having guns pointed at us is a very rare occurrence but it does show the dangers officers can face.
“James showed huge bravery in making a swift and dynamic decision and disarming a volatile man, despite both officers being unarmed themselves.
“His actions really demonstrate the adage that officers run towards danger. What a hero. We are very proud of him.”
PC McDowall will attend the inaugural 2025 London Police Bravery Awards on Thursday 3 April. At the event, three overall regional winners will be announced, who will attend the National Police Federation Bravery Awards in July.
The Gold sponsors of the London Police Bravery Awards are Metfriendly, Axon and Officer Insurance Cover, part of the Ardonagh Group.
Also sponsoring the awards are Silver sponsors Bluline and JMW Solicitors; and Bronze sponsors Slater and Gordon Lawyers, Police Mortgages, Accord, THB Solicitors, Blackfords LLP, the National Police Healthcare Scheme, Uniform Mortgages and Penningtons Manches Cooper.
