Brave Hatfield police officer: 'I would do it all again'

5:32pm Tuesday 9th March 2010

By Alexandra Barham

A BRAVE Hertfordshire police inspector who went beyond the call of duty to rescue a suicidal man hanging by his fingertips from the top of the Galleria's multi-storey car park has told the Review he would do it all again if it meant saving a life.

Inspector Roy Stammers, who has been in the force for 19 years but served with Hertfordshire Constabulary for the last five, prevented the suicidal man from plummeting 100 feet to his death by straddling the barriers over the drop and hauling him to safety.

The dramatic rescue on August 16 last year has earned the Hatfield and Borehamwood-based inspector a testimonial on parchment by the Royal Humane Society.

Inspector Stammers, 39, who lives in Essex, insisted he would not hesitate to put this own life on the line again to save another.

He told the Review: "One of the primary responsibilities of police officers is preservation of life and that's exactly what we need to be doing - trying to help people and save lives.

Five other officers who grabbed hold of the man over or through the barriers and clung on to stop him falling – PC David Burstow, SC Harwood, PC Gemma Kenealy, PS James Lant and PC Emily Martin – are to receive certificates of commendation.

Announcing the award at a ceremony in London last Friday, the society's secretary Dick Wilkinson said: “When this man let go of the ledge, these officers were all that prevented him plummeting 100 feet to his death.

“Inspector Stammers put himself at risk of plunging over the side by standing on a concrete wall, straddling the two-foot high metal barriers, and hauling the man back over them. This was a remarkable feat, for which he deserves the highest possible praise.

On the day of the incident a member of the public notified two on foot officers that a man, who was later identified as someone with a history of alcoholism and suicidal tendencies, was at the top of the Hatfield multi-storey car park, walking along a ledge on the wrong side of the barrier.

After officers made several failed attempts to coax the man down, they rushed to the seventh floor of the car park where they discovered him sitting on a ledge and dangling his legs over the drop. By this time other officers, including Inspector Stammers who had been dealing with another incident in Hatfield, had arrived at the scene.

Recalling the operation, Inspector Stammers said: "When we arrived he sat down on the ledge with his legs hanging over the side. All of a sudden he moved and was hanging by his hands with his full body weight on his fingers holding onto the concrete. Officers rushed forward and grabbed various arts of clothing.

"We were holding his weight through the railings. By the time I got there I could see we weren't going to have the leverage to haul him up so I climbed over the barrier and grabbed hold of his collar."

Asked if he would intervene if faced with a similar situation, Inspector Stammers replied: "I think all the police officers would do what they did again. You get on with it and adapt to a situation and do what you need to do."

He added: "I haven't been particularly popular with my wife for taking that risk."

No date has yet been fixed for presentation of the award, made on the recommendation of Hertfordshire Police, but it is likely to be in the near future.