This is the moment a courageous police office prevented a ‘catastrophic fire’ at a Warwickshire petrol station.
Police Sergeant Charlie Thompson’s body worn camera footage shows how he tried to talk down a man who was armed with a lighter and threatened to set himself on fire – on the Tesco petrol station forecourt in Stratford.
The man, who was in what has been described as an acute crisis, had waked onto the forecourt, doused himself in petrol, and threatened to set himself alight.
As the fumes spread and staff fled in fear, the man stood on the forecourt, holding a lighter in one hand and a petrol container in the other.
PS Thompson, who was one of the first officers on the scene immediately engaged the man.
He attempted to build rapport, encouraging him to move away from the pumps and towards safety.
But the situation escalated sharply. As well as pouring petrol over his own head, the man had coated the fuel pump beside him in BBQ lighting gel.
Also, while a police cordon was in pace, in the rush to evacuate, staff had been unable to confirm whether the fuel pumps had been isolated.
This meant that any spark could have ignited the petrol-soaked forecourt, spreading rapidly across the pumps and beyond.
The man had doused himself with petrol and was armed with lighter threatening to set himself on fire(Image: Warwickshire Police)
Fire crews stood ready with specialist equipment, preparing for the worst-case scenario. Police negotiators arrived and attempted to de-escalate the situation, but the man’s demands became increasingly erratic.
Throughout the tense stand-off, PS Thompson’s calm, steady presence was the anchor point.
Despite the risk, he remained within a short distance of the man, even as the risk intensified.
After a final unsuccessful attempt by negotiators to resolve the crisis peacefully, a pre-arranged plan was put into action.
Having removed his heavy PPE to allow greater mobility, PS Thompson waited for the signal. When it came, he seized a moment of distraction and sprinted forward.
The courageous cop tackled the man to the ground, immediately becoming drenched in petrol from the container still in the man’s hand.
A desperate struggle followed as he fought to gain control of the lighter before it could be ignited. Fire extinguishers were deployed over him as he wrestled on the petrol-soaked ground.
His actions protected his officers, safeguarded the public, and prevented what could have been a major incident in the heart of Warwickshire.
For this he was nominated for an award at the Police Federation National Police Bravery Awards 2026.
But humble Sgt Thompson said “I couldn’t have done it without the team behind me – we co-ordinated, we worked together, and it was together that we stopped what could have been a terrible loss of life.
“I’m overwhelmed to have been nominated for a Bravery Award – it’s always a good day when our hard work in the police is recognised like this.
“I hope that the chap I tackled is doing better now – it will have been a very low moment for him, and we hope he’s managed to pick himself back up and get the support he needed.
Andy Morrissey, Vice Chair, Warwickshire Police Federation, praised the officer saying: “PS Thompson showed all the skills of policing in one job. As a supervisor he took charge, yet still put himself forward and in harm’s way.
“Despite being aware of the risk, the petrol, the lighter, and the fact the forecourt had not been isolated, he took on great personal risk to stop a very dangerous situation turning into a catastrophe. This showed bravery, leadership, and the human nature to speak to a person in dangerous crisis.”
Acting Chief Constable David Gardner added: “We are extremely proud of Sgt Thompson who demonstrated incredible fortitude, empathy, and quick-thinking in his actions that day.
“It is thanks to him, and the other officers on the ground that there wasn’t a tragedy that day in Stratford-upon-Avon.”
“He is more than worthy of the Bravery Award.”
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