Cool, calm, collected
Christchurch Patrol Officer Paul Berry may have aided around 60 arrests over a two-year period, but an incident involving an escaped mental hospital inmate was one of the scariest ever.
Responding to a panic alarm, Paul arrived at a liquor store to find four security people hanging on to a highly agitated man. To make matters worse, the man was bleeding from a wound on his neck, had weeping ulcers on his legs and was shouting, swearing and spitting at everyone around him.
Paul warned everyone to put gloves on then put the man in a lock until police arrived. His quick thinking and calm action may have saved lives as it turned out the man was HIV positive and had three kinds of hepatitis.
“It really rattled me afterwards, but I’d do it all again if I was faced with a similar situation in future,” says Paul.
Responding to a panic alarm, Paul arrived at a liquor store to find four security people hanging on to a highly agitated man. To make matters worse, the man was bleeding from a wound on his neck, had weeping ulcers on his legs and was shouting, swearing and spitting at everyone around him.
Paul warned everyone to put gloves on then put the man in a lock until police arrived. His quick thinking and calm action may have saved lives as it turned out the man was HIV positive and had three kinds of hepatitis.
“It really rattled me afterwards, but I’d do it all again if I was faced with a similar situation in future,” says Paul.
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