‘ Die Hard’ cop tackled thug who threatened to burn down restaurant
A‘ DIE Hard’ cop tackled a thug who threatened to b u r n a G l a s g o w r e s t aurant “t o t he ground”. Sergeant David Marr was having lunch in the city’s Ashton Lane when the incident kicked off at Ashoka.
He was forced to intervene after the erratic man left customers terrified by clutching a jerry can and telling them he was going to set the place on fire. It was then the quick- thinking police officer tackled the yob and wrestled him to the ground, where he was held until backup arrived last May.
Now Sergeant Marr will be handed a special Chair’s Award at this year’s Scottish Police Federation ( SPF) Awards.
Speaking about the incident, he said: “It was a very small, confined space so we ended up rolling around. I was trying to get control of him, and just held him until police officers arrived a few minutes later.
“I’d seen him outside smoking so I knew he had a source of ignition, and you can’t be prepared to let that happen, you don’t take the chance.”
Three other Glasgow officers will also be recognised for their heroic acts and dedication to their communities during the SPF Awards ceremony at Edinburgh’s Dynamic Earth on Thursday.
This includes PC John Welsh as he tackled a man who smashed his car into the officer’s home in the middle of the night.
His family were asleep upstairs at the Newton Mearns property when the incident happened in the early hours of March 2020.
He immediately got up to investigate and saw a man inside his hallway who then ran off.
PC Welsh managed to catch the suspect, who violently resisted arrest, and it then emerged a woman was badly injured in the passenger seat of the crashed car.
The police officer and his family were unable to live in the house for two years after the crash.
The officer said: “He ran approximately 400 metres before I managed to get him, at which point I identified myself as a police officer.
“Thankfully there was another group of boys there at the time. That’s when I managed to have him on the ground, apprehended, struggling with him, and managed to ask one of the boys to phone the police for me at the time.
“It took two years before we could finally move back into the house. It was unbelievable, heart- breaking to be honest with you.”
Meanwhile, PC Janet Sloan, who works in frontline policing in the East End, and Community Sgt Jennie MacFarlane have been shortlisted in the Unsung Hero category of the awards.
PC Sloan has been praised for her meticulous approach and high success rate in solving crimes, and for her professionalism and performance after being tasked with VIP liaison at last year’s COP26 summit.
Community sgt MacFarlane is an SPF representative in Glasgow and is being recognised for her longterm commitment to fighting for her colleagues’ rights.
She regularly gives up her free time and works non- stop to ensure that officers in her division have their welfare matters considered by senior management, while also keeping colleagues up- to- date with the latest guidance, allowances, and expenses.
As well as the Chair’s Award, dozens of officers are nominated across five categories: Unsung Hero, Community Commitment, Cops’ Cop of the Year, and both Group and Individual Bravery.
David Hamilton, chair of the Scottish Police Federation, said: “There can be no greater honour than to be recognised by your peers for work that spotlights what being a police officer is all about.
“This year’s nominees should all be immensely proud of their achievements, which have included saving lives, protecting the public, supporting colleagues, and making the communities they serve safer.
“Police officers continue to face unprecedented challenges, but these awards are an opportunity to pause and reflect on the incredible work that they do.
“And while there can only be one winner in each category, we are grateful to each and every one for their individual acts of bravery and commitment.”