Police officers praised for courage and professionalism in firearms incident

On 10 May this year, armed officers responded to a serious incident, which saw one of our courageous officers, PC Curtis Foster, shot in the leg with a crossbow by Jason King, aged 54, of School Close, Downley, High Wycombe.

Officers had been called to report of a stabbing involving two men in School Close at around 6pm.

A man, now known to be King, fired his crossbow at PC Foster, and it was clear it was a targeted attack as he was seen on various footage aiming the weapon at him.

The crossbow bolt struck PC Foster in the leg, causing serious injuries.

Thankfully, PC Foster has since made a full recovery.

King later fired a bolt towards a police dog and handler, which did not make contact, and then aimed his crossbow at one of the armed response officers. It was clear that he intended to kill or serious injure them.

A single shot was fired by the armed officer at King, hitting him in the abdomen. King was treated at the scene by officers before being taken to hospital.

King has since pleaded guilty to a number of offences, including section 18 wounding with intent against PC Foster and possession of a crossbow, and is due to be sentenced at Aylesbury Crown Court on January 31 2025.

Because a member of the public was injured, a mandatory referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

Following an investigation, the IOPC have today (20/11) released their findings, and concluded that our officers acted courageously and professionally in bringing the incident to a satisfactory conclusion.

Thames Valley Police Assistant Chief Constable Tim Metcalfe said: “It was only right that the incident was thoroughly investigated and police are held to scrutiny in such cases.

“I am pleased with the report’s conclusions that stated that our officers displayed immense courage and professionalism.

“In the opinion of the IOPC senior investigator, he stated that the actions of all officers involved in the firearms incident, including the shot fired by the armed response officer, were fully justified, proportionate and necessary, and brought the incident to a conclusion which protected the safety of our community and the officers who responded.

“He specifically wished to highlight this courage and sound judgment under pressure by all the officers involved in the response.

“This included the unarmed officers who initially confronted King and the armed response officer, who, in open space and with no cover, save for his own equipment, confronted King and, from a considerable distance, struck King - a moving target - with a single shot to the abdomen.

“The actions of our officers successfully minimised the harm to King while also eliminating the significant threat that he posed to those around him.

“I would also like to stress that the IOPC investigation has concluded that officers appropriately dealt with an incident involving King on 9 May, the day before the firearms incident.

“This incident involved a neighbourhood dispute, but there was no evidence that a crime had been committed and officers took appropriate steps to resolve the matter.

“It goes without saying that I am very proud of everybody who has been involved in this case, which was clearly dealt with, with utmost professionalism and dedication to duty.

“Our officers go to work every day to protect our communities, and this case highlights the dangers they face in their line of duty.

“I would like to thank, on behalf of the local community and the force, this dedication to duty which brought a significant and highly dangerous incident to a safe conclusion.”