Two Northern Territory Police negotiators have received National Bravery Awards from the Police Federation of Australia at a formal ceremony in Canberra last night.
The joint award was presented to negotiators Senior Constable Mark Turner and Senior Constable Linda Farrand by Federal Minister for Home Affairs, The Honourable Peter Dutton MP, for their role in responding to a call for assistance earlier this year. They were accompanied by NT Police delegates including Acting Commissioner and CEO Michael Murphy APM.
The National Police Bravery Awards seek to recognise exceptional acts in exceptional circumstances undertaken by Australia’s police. An award for police, by police, the awards also recognises those officers who have demonstrated bravery of the very highest order in the performance of their duty.
The negotiators were called to respond to a report of a man threatening self-harm on the Darwin Esplanade around 7:00pm on 11 June 2019. They located the distressed man and negotiated with him for seven hours. At 3:00am, after using extensive negotiating techniques, then man was coaxed up two metres from the edge of the cliff.
Police were comforting the man when he suddenly ran towards the cliff. Senior Constable Turner then grabbed the man before he could jump over the ledge. Together, Senior Constable Turner and Senior Constable Farrand restrained the man and escorted him to a safe distance away from the ledge. The duo called for additional police who helped to lift the man to a nearby safety rail where he was then conveyed into the care of St John Ambulance.
Negotiator Coordinator Senior Sergeant Michael Budge said Senior Constables Turner and Farrand showed exceptional bravery in extremely perilous circumstances.
“Both Senior Constable Turner and Farrand moved from the safety of the barrier out to the edge of the cliff with a sheer plunge onto rocks into the harbour. They acted courageously and responsibly in the face of danger to their lives in order to save the life of a young man in crisis.”
Congratulations to the award recipients.
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