A heroic officer who was punched to the ground by armed drug dealers before getting back up to chase and successfully detain them has been recognised for her bravery. 

PC Lucy Du Plooy has won a Thames Valley Police Federation Bravery Award for her actions.

In July 2022, PC Du Plooy, along with other members of her team, was in Banbury town centre on foot, in plain clothes.

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She noticed two people who she saw engage in a suspected drug exchange and began to follow them while reporting on their location.

PC Du Plooy followed the two suspects down a side alley that turned out to be a dead-end.

The two suspects turned to face her and she identified herself as a police officer.

As she tried to detain them, the suspects resisted and knocked her to the ground.

One of them punched her several times in the face, and she was also kicked and dragged along the ground.

She also noticed that one of them had a knife tucked into their waistband.

The two subjects then broke free, running back out of the alley.

PC Du Plooy got up and chased the subjects on foot, providing effective commentary that allowed her colleagues, including ICR officers and two Sergeants, to come to her aid and detain both suspects. 

PC Du Plooy assisted in the arrest before she was taken to hospital for medical treatment.

A 3ft-long machete and a ‘zombie knife’ were later found dumped in a bin.

PC Du Plooy said: “My adrenaline was running pretty strongly afterwards.

"I had quite nasty bruises and grazes all over my back and my arms.

"But I felt relieved that I was okay, considering the circumstances, and the fact that we’d caught them, because we didn’t know who they were.

"If they’d got away, we wouldn’t have been able to ID them.

“I think you either go into that fight or flight mode when you’re in that situation, and for me I knew the only thing was to get these two people off the streets and away from the members of the public, considering it was the school holidays.

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"That’s all I had in the back of my mind. I can’t let them run, with what I’ve seen they’ve got on them.

“Winning this award is very unexpected. I was going about doing my day-to-day role really, but it’s nice to be recognised for what we did.”

Earlier this year, both offenders were found guilty of offences including drug dealing, possession of an offensive weapon and assault.

Last month one was sentenced to a youth rehabilitation and the other a 12-month youth referral order.

Thames Valley Police Federation Chair Craig O’Leary said: “Lucy showed professionalism and great courage. She made the brave decision to chase violent offenders, and despite being punched to the ground, she got up and continued to chase them.

“It is this sort of behaviour that policing is built on. The decision to carry on in spite of the odds, without fear or favour. Lucy did her utmost to meet this challenge and found herself in a situation that could have ended differently, had the suspect chosen to draw the machete.”

PC Du Plooy will attend the 2023 Thames Valley Police Federation Bravery Awards on April 27.  

At the event, a winner will be announced who will travel to London for the National Police Federation Bravery Awards in July.