A Lincolnshire police officer has been awarded the King’s Gallantry Medal for bravery after he apprehended a double murder suspect while off duty – being stabbed in the process. PC Steve Denniss was walking his dogs near the Hallington entrance at Hubbard’s Hill, Louth, in June 2021 when he spotted Daniel Boulton, a man suspected of the murders of ex-partner Bethany Vincent, 26, and her son Darren, aged nine.
Both Bethany and her son died after receiving stab wounds at their home in Louth the previous evening, and Boulton was jailed for at least 40 years for their murders. When off-duty PC Denniss approached Boulton, he responded by kicking, punching and eventually stabbing the officer.
He called for back-up and firearms officers arrived at the scene within minutes to arrest Boulton. PC Denniss has now been awarded the King’s Gallantry Medal, which recognises the bravery of people who put themselves at risk to save (or attempt to save) another person’s life.
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He said: “It’s a great honour to be recognised in this way and I am really humbled by it. I must also acknowledge my colleagues on that day as well because if it wasn’t for the firearms team and other officers who arrived within minutes, it could have been a very different outcome.
(Image: Joe Giddens/PA Wire)
“It’s lovely to be awarded this medal for just doing my job but I do especially think of Bethany and DJ on a day like this. I would prefer to have never been in this position in the first place if it meant they were still here, among the people who loved them.
“I know I’m not alone in feeling this way, and also that I’m not alone in my actions because I acted instinctively, and many other officers would have done the same.”
Chief Constable Paul Gibson said: “It’s been said many times before but has never been truer than what we saw from Steve in 2021 – police officers are often the people running towards danger when everyone else is running away. Steve’s quick thinking and lack of worry for himself played a huge part in Boulton being arrested without anyone else being harmed.
“The danger he posed to the public at that point in time – a warm day in a busy open space – was up there at a high level, and Steve’s actions, coupled with those of other officers, brought to an end a truly tragic set of circumstances. We’re incredibly proud of Steve and thrilled he’s been recognised in this way with the King’s Gallantry Medal.”
PC Denniss will be invited to a special award ceremony at a later date to receive his medal.
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