Officer saves Polish man’s life by connecting with him in his first language

PC Marta Bugajska

A response officer who can speak Polish managed to calm down a distressed man who threatened to take his own life.

Officers were deployed to the city centre after reports that a man, in his 40s, was holding a knife to his throat.

On arrival, PC Marta Bugajska noticed that the man spoke Polish and engaged with the male in his first language.

Her ability to speak to the man in his own language created the first and only opportunity for rapport to be built and to calm him down.

During the two-hour ordeal on Monday 9 February at around 8.30pm, he finally dropped the knife and was transported to Queen’s Medical Centre for a medical assessment.

Response Sergeant Rishi Thobhani said:

"There is no doubt in my mind that PC Bugajska has saved the life of a vulnerable man in crisis.

"The incident was highly volatile from the outset. On arrival PC Bugajska who is fluent in Polish immediately engaged with the man and became the only viable communication link between him and emergency services.

"Throughout the incident the man was irate, distressed, and at times escalating his behaviour by pushing the knife into his throat and making further demands.

"Despite this extreme pressure, PC Bugajska demonstrated a calm but adaptive communication style, increasing her energy appropriately in line with her negotiator‑informed training.

"She maintained engagement at critical moments, preventing the man from withdrawing, shutting down, or acting on his threats. This emotional presence, under significant personal stress, demonstrated remarkable composure and courage.

"Even before negotiators arrived, PC Bugajska used active listening skills to gather vital intelligence about the man’s state of mind and the factors influencing his behaviour.

"Once negotiators were on scene, she continued to act as a live translator.

"PC Bugajska fulfilled some of the fundamental duties and priorities of being a police officer - to protect life, safeguard the vulnerable and act with professionalism and compassion in the moments of greatest threat."

 If you are struggling with mental health, you can call the Samaritans 24/7, 365 days a year on 116 123 for free. In an emergency always dial 999.