Not part of the job

On right. Get back.

What you gonna do?

All right.

Yeah.

Right back guys. 2, 5, 7 more options here, please.

Presenter: Hello and welcome to another episode of Cambs Cops: Our stories. A warning at the start of this podcast that it features content some may consider only suitable for adults. Now it was a day on the front line, like any other for PC Leo Clark in February last year, but that one day changed the next year of his life as he knew it.  Leo was left with a bleed on the brain after being attacked on duty. He needed surgery and spent almost a week in hospital. Now back helping to keep Cambridgeshire safe. In this podcast episode, he speaks honestly and openly about the severity of his injuries and his road to recovery.

So I'm PC Clark, Leo Clark, 582. I work up in Peterborough in Northern, uh, part of B relief response, been a police officer now for about two and a half years. Um, two of those years on response.

Yeah. And now why, why did you want to be a police officer in, in the first place?

I'll give the honest answer, blue lights and sort of just being proactive. That's the bit of the job that it sort of really gets me and about that I really enjoy. Um, but obviously helping everyone out and making sure that everyone at the end of the day can be that bit safer is the main bit

Before all this happened, obviously just talk us through what a typical day in the force was like for you from, from morning to end.

Yeah. So obviously before all of this, it would be getting into work half hour or so early checking emails, all of that fun stuff, and then sort of wait for your morning briefing. Maybe get some task in potentially sort of dealing with somebody in custody, missing from homes. Um, something like that.

Just tell us in your own words then, uh, what happened on the day you're injured?

Yeah, so sort of started like any, any normal day did with a late shift. So went in, checked the emails, checked with any sort of admin I needed to do had a few emails that had to sort out. And then yeah, got called to a prompt grade. I believe first went to the address. There was no answer. They did a little bit of admin and then another immediate came in. Um, it was for a colleague. I believe it just sort of come out the 10 weeks I thought, oh, I'll go back them up, give them a hand if they needed it. And then whilst on route to that, I was diverted to another immediate, that particular day was busy. It wasn't given much info sort of on the way to that job. Just sort of potentially a concern, mental health job, me being me thinking, oh, it won't be too bad.

Little did I know? So yeah. Got to the address. Still not much info, just sort of an address, a few names when I got there, uh, there was a male standing outside and was sort of quite distressed and that was the dad of the person. I was there to deal with little bit of info from him again, not much. So still trying to build a picture of actually what's going on here, go to the front door of the address, met by the person who later on hits me. He was clearly quite distressed annoyed that the police were here. I think he, from what I've learned from the job, I believe he was seen by another force in the morning. And I don't think he had the best experience bless him. So I rock up another police officer. He tells me basically to off politely. So I say to him, go inside, just relax.

I'll give you five minutes and I'll come have a chat with you. See what we can do, because I think it's unknown to most people, police turn up to mental health jobs now, um, we've sort of had to adapt and take on more jobs cuz every service is stretched at the moment. So police, we turn up to mental health jobs. We might not be experts, but we are there to make sure that people are okay. And that's what I was doing at this job. So go outside, go speak to dad and sort of out the corner of my eye. I catch him coming outside. So I'm like, okay, here we go. Initially again, just sort of trying to talk to him, trying to calm him down a bit. Didn't work very well. <laugh> he sort of starts getting in my face bit more angsty bit, few swear words flying.

So that, that point I'm like, right. It's either gonna end two ways here. One of it is gonna get hurt. So I push him away cause he is right up in my grill. So I'm like, well I need to get some distance, push him away. And that's instantly, he sort of comes up again. So he gets sprayed by myself. I think I miss him and I get the dad more than anyone. So yeah, dad, wasn't happy. So yeah, spray didn't work. And I think at that point he might have thrown a fist. It, this bit's a little bit, um, not blurry, but it sort of with the adrenaline and everything that happens so quick. So yeah, potentially if this gets thrown, I sort of back off try and get some distance. Like they teach distance is key he's I think I'm shouting at him to get on the floor, something like that.

He doesn't get on the floor. And so next thing he is thinking, right. What, what else have I got to sort of look after myself? So Baton comes out. I racket. Normally you think a racking bat should be enough to stop someone. It wasn't. He carries on coming at me. So I have to make that quick decision in my head. Do I do what I don't wanna do whacking with it. Unfortunately I do. It sort of slowed down at that point, training kicks in sort of thinking, I thought, well I've only got punch a punch. I'm fine. And didn't know sort of the extent of it at that point. So I go for his leg, um, I think right. Let's take his knees out, get him on the floor. I can regain a bit of control, hit him twice, I think in the knee. And then he scuttles off back to the house.

So at that point, I think I've, I've already shouted up. I didn't press the red burn probably should have pressed the red button at that point. I've said need some more units got one for a assault police. And it's still, I only thought it was a assault police at that time. So he's gone back inside, um, the other side of the garden. So I've got good, great 10 metres of space. So I'm thinking, oh okay. Plenty of time. Dad's complaining. Cause obviously I've, I've sprayed him more than the, his son. So I sort of go into a bit of, to care for him. Matey boy keeps poking his head around the door. So just some talk with him saying just stay inside, stay inside

Face, step back a bit. Okay. That's off. That's now your no, no stop way. Stop. Let's you

Cool me on right?

2, 5, 7 more options here, please.

Go on,

right? Yeah. Down the floor. Now on the floor. Down the floor. No down the floor. Ah,

2, 5, 7. I need more units here. Yeah, I'm all good. Um, he's he's not listening to me. Um, he's gone back inside. Um, PAVs deployed, um, it hasn't stopped him there. 2, 5, 7 quick update. Um, he hasn't engaged in it at all. He's tried to have a fight with me. He's gone back inside of his family. So I'm unsure how his family is. Um, I'm not going until I've got more units there. Come outside. Just, just blink. Just blink. Okay. Just come out for me. Come out for me the door. Okay. Just blink. Just blink. It's gonna hurt for bit. It's hurt for didn't blink moment. The moment I'm waiting for more units. No, just keep, keep blinking for the time in. Just calm down Adam. Oh, just take a seat on there for me. Yeah. I'm alright. I'm outside now. Waiting for units.

I remember watching the body worn back and it feels like a very long time for when I call up for whenever officers come. Not saying that's a bad thing on their behalf. It's just, you're in a city. So you think you're not gonna be too bad? It still feels like a long time. Luckily nothing else happened. So yeah. That's good. And then yeah, hear the sirens come in. So I'm like, ah, helps on the way. Couple of colleagues turn up, they ask me what's going on and they run straight in the house, get arrested. I didn't go in the house. Cause I thought I'm just gonna make it worse. He's already pissed off with me. Big time. I don't need to make it any worse. He gets bundled into the back of the van. Job's good. And then I think it may have been at that point, what, 20 minutes after it all happened.

But I think one of my colleagues started realising, are you okay? Cause I sort of said, ah, drive back to the nick, get the paperwork started. And they're like, no, you are not driving. Well, one of us will take you. So I jumped in the car with one of them, got back to the station. And I think when I went to get up out of the car, I was like, okay, something really isn't right. Remember walking up the stairs to the response office at Thorpe Wood, would I know those stairs take a lot out of everyone, but I remember walking up them thinking I need to hold onto the rail thinking, oh dear, this isn't good. It's not just a punch. And then I remember walking through the doors and the skippers looking at me and just there look alone was a bit like, okay, something's not right. Went and spoke to them. Spoke to gibberish apparently, apparently, I lived in the car park at work <laugh> and yeah, at that point they were like, he, he needs to go to hospital.

I'm more just, just blink inside Josh inside. Um, he got me I'm yeah, it will. Yeah. Joshua that's his dad. Yeah. He, by the way with just like I said, it's gonna hurt it's gonna for a while. Okay.

So what happened when, when you got to hospital,

Some colleagues took me in there, some colleagues there already, and I think the ones who were there already were quite shocked to see how I was and something they'd seen me at the beginning of the shift and they saw me now and again, apparently spoke gibberish, but the receptionist was asking me where I live my birthday and apparently I had no idea. And then after that where it was a bit of a blur, I think the next thing I remember is sort of waking up on route to Addenbrooke’s in the ambulance. And then again, the sort of not passing out, but sort of complete memory wipe of it. And then I remember waking up on a table with a load of doctors around me, looking at me and cutting all my clothes off. <laugh>

Blimey, well, that's, that's a story and half, isn't it. And yeah. How long were you in hospital then? And what was that like?

So I was in hospital from the Monday night through to the Friday night. So what, four days? Five nights, something like that. It was during lockdown. So no one could come and see me. Of course you can imagine parents and girlfriend, they weren't happy. So yeah, it was weird. Um, sort of first two days down there, couldn't tell you what happened. And then I think the on the Thursday, cause I came home Friday, Thursday, I started feeling better. Then the Friday I sort of woke up and was like, well I'm getting home.

Okay blimey. And, and when you came out of hospital, um, what happened then?

So yeah, got released. They sort of took all the bandaging off my head and I said, what have you done to me? You've shaved half my hair off. Uh <laugh> I was not happy about that. And then that was the first time I probably saw the extent of like the surgery and everything. So that was yeah, quite weird. I still got the picture of that and it's sort of hits home when I see them. So my dad and my girlfriend came and picked me up. I think my dad was more, <laugh> more crying than she was got home dog came and greeted me. I think she cried as well. Bless her. And then, yeah, it was just a long, long process of sort of getting back to normal. I got lucky. Um, I'm back to normal now.

Definitely. And what, what did the doctors say was your injury at the time? Were they, what, what were their words?

I mean, I can't remember what they said to me when I went in, I, I didn't even know sort of what was happening if I was having surgery. If I wasn't, when I woke up and saw it all, that was sort of the first I really knew about it, probably when I was getting discharged home, sort of the extent of what they were saying could have happened. What did happen? Uh, it said some very scientific words. I can't remember them. Um, essentially it was a bleed on the brain left unchecked. Obviously it could cause a lot of damage. So thankfully obviously the skippers and my colleagues saw something was wrong. Got me there early. Um, which definitely has helped me get back now.

And when did you return to work? Um, you know, what, what month was it? Has that been so far?

Yeah. Um, so I, I went off February when it happened and I got back, uh, December last year, very beginning of December. Obviously I had to start on restricted sort of, uh, minimal hours and I've got that. I'm back to full hours now. And I think Friday, I've got my safety training, so hopefully next week I'll be back out. Um, so yeah, sort of, it's almost been, I think by the time I got my safety training, it'll be pretty much a year sort of it's affected me,

Blimey, but, but you're excited are you to get back to it

Goes, go can't wait. <laugh>, can't wait. Being in the office was nice to begin with seeing my colleagues and everything, but they're fed for keeping the seats warm <laugh>.

Oh, and uh, really, I mean, is there anything you'd like other officer to know or, or be aware of, um, given what's happened to you

Just keep an eye out for each other, if there's an immediate back each other up. I know everyone does anyway. Um, every now and then as odd job someone goes to on their own, just make sure you look out for each other and yeah, don't be heroes. Just, uh, do what you gotta do and make sure you go home at the end of your shift because it's not worth your family and go through it. It really isn't. No,

Definitely. And, and what about members of the public? I mean, do you have a message for them or anything you think might be important to, to say?

Yeah, like I sort of said at the beginning police, we do a lot of different jobs nowadays. Um, over the past few years with whatever's gone on in the past, we've had to adapt. Um, it's not just locking up bad guys anymore. I mean, one of the main things for police is like, and making sure that everyone everyone's okay. And I'm not saying that everyone who suffers from mental health is gonna hurt the police. That's far from it. I just want the public to know that if we turn up, doesn't always mean you're in trouble. If there is something to do with that, it can be dealt with later. We just wanna make sure that you're okay. Yeah. I think my main message is just sort of, yeah, the police aren't always the bad guys and for the general public, we're there to look after you. It might not be an ambulance turning up that you want, but we can help you still. We can get you to where they're gonna take you or we can help until they get there for you. We might not be experts, but we'll do our bloody best to help you. <laugh> thank

Thank you for listening and thank you to our officers for all they do to keep us safe. It can be a dangerous job and we are incredibly grateful. Remember to look out for the next episode of Cam's our stories on our YouTube channel.