From left NZ Police Association president Chris Cahill, Detective Constable Jeremy Toschi, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Constable Sophie Allison, and Police Commissioner Andrew Coster. Photo: RNZ / Kate Green
Two police officers who faced a knife-wielding attacker in a Dunedin supermarket last year have been awarded for bravery.
Constable Sophie Allison and Detective Constable Jeremy Toschi were presented with Police Association Bravery Awards by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at its annual conference in Wellington.
Both officers were in Countdown Dunedin Central when the attack occurred in May 2021 - Allison was off-duty, and Toschi was in plain clothes on his lunch break.
Ardern said they apprehended the offender mid-attack in just over a minute and restrained him until more police arrived.
In her statement, Allison described "the type of screaming that makes your stomach sink". She said the attacker had a knife in each hand, intentionally going for people's necks.
Ardern told the conference the events of that afternoon. Allison heard screams from the next aisle and ran towards them, where found a person lying on the ground, blood on the floor, and people running and shouting.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks at the award ceremony. Photo: RNZ / Kate Green
The offender had stabbed a female staff member, then a male staff member who was attempting to restrain him, before breaking free and stabbing a third person who had come to assist and then a female member of the public, Ardern said.
When Allison rushed at the offender, he lashed out, hitting her head while continuing his attack on the woman.
Allison picked up a nearby chair and thrust it on top of the offender to pin him to the ground, and threw her body weight down on top of the offender to prevent him from getting up.
By then Toschi had entered the aisle and begun throwing products from the shelves at the offender, before ramming him with a chair in an attempt to force him to let go of the knife.
Ardern said Toshi then dragged one of the male victims to safety, before returning to help Allison restrain the offender until more police arrived, and the offender was handcuffed and arrested.
The attack lasted one minute and 10 seconds, Ardern said.
The award panel, which included Dame Annette King and Sir Anand Satyanand, considered the courageous actions of the officers unquestionably prevented the offender killing or inflicting further serious injury.
Allison said receiving the award was an "absolute honour", and the fact that she was nominated by her colleagues made it "really special".
Toschi said he was grateful his family could be present "especially my son who was very nervous about going into supermarkets in the months following".
