Crowbar-wielding burglars tackled by off duty Southend police officers

Two off-duty police officers from Southend have been formally commended after bravely confronting two armed burglars in Rochford while heading home from their shift.

Sergeant Alex Farr and PC Sam Hilbery were driving past Sainsbury’s on West Street in the early hours of 31 July 2022 when they heard an alarm. Both had just finished a half-night shift with the Southend Local Policing Team.

“We noticed that the door to the Sainsbury’s was open and we said ‘That’s not right. That’s meant to be shut’,” said Sam. “Then we saw someone come out of the store who was dressed all in black, balaclava on, with a bag.”

The man was holding a crowbar and waved it menacingly at the pair before running off.

Without hesitation, Alex and Sam gave chase. “We tried to circle him to try and grab hold of him but every time I went near him he took a swipe at me,” said Alex, who is now a neighbourhood policing sergeant.

Sam managed to grab the man’s crowbar-wielding arm while Alex grabbed his other. A violent struggle followed, during which Sam managed to call 999 and request urgent assistance.

Suddenly, a female accomplice appeared and tried to intervene, grabbing Sam around the neck and attempting to strangle her. She picked up the crowbar, which had fallen to the ground, but fled after Sam identified herself as a police officer.

Sam quickly turned her focus back to helping Alex, who was still wrestling with the man. The pair held the suspect until on-duty officers arrived to make the arrests.

The man was later convicted of burglary and possession of an offensive weapon. The woman was convicted of assaulting a police officer.

Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington has now officially commended both officers for their actions.

“Sergeant Alex Farr and PC Sam Hilbery are highly deserving of their Commendations, awarded for their exceptional bravery, quick thinking and unwavering commitment to public safety,” he said.

“Their actions show police officers are never truly off duty and Alex and Sam went far beyond what would be expected of them in such a situation.

“They confronted a dangerous suspect, alone and unarmed. Not only that, but they successfully managed a volatile and violent situation and secured the arrest of two violent individuals.

“Despite the very real risk of being injured themselves, Alex and Sam demonstrated outstanding courage, professionalism and teamwork, reflecting the highest standards of policing.”

Both officers were assaulted during the incident, but neither was seriously injured.

Alex said: “It was dangerous but police officers do that every day. It’s just that we did it off duty.

“We both got assaulted. The man was violent. His partner was violent. And we are lucky he didn’t strike us with the crowbar.”

After spending the early hours of the morning back at the station completing paperwork, both officers returned to duty for a late shift that same afternoon.

Sam said: “It’s absolutely lovely to receive a Commendation from the Chief Constable. It’s nice because it’s the recognition you’ve done your job right and that you went above and beyond to do your job.”

This is Sam’s second Commendation, having previously been recognised for bravery and professionalism in 2021.

The pair were also recently recognised with Essex Police Federation Bravery Awards.