Police officer commended for response to St Leonards shooting

A police officer who responded to reports of a shooting in St Leonards has been commended for his work in preventing further harm to the community.
PC Timothy Rush has been commended for his response to a shooting in St Leonards. Picture: Sussex PolicePC Timothy Rush has been commended for his response to a shooting in St Leonards. Picture: Sussex Police
PC Timothy Rush has been commended for his response to a shooting in St Leonards. Picture: Sussex Police

PC Timothy Rush was on duty when Craig Savage stole a semi-automatic weapon and ammunition from 1066 Target Sports in March 2018, said police.

Officers discovered that before leaving Savage had threatened to shoot a member of staff and, as a result, a spontaneous firearms incident was declared.

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Savage – who has since been given a life sentence for two counts of murder – was found at an address where the bodies of his ex-wife Michelle Savage and her mother Heather Whitbread were inside. He was then pursued to a nearby beach, while still in possession of the weapon, where he was arrested.

At an annual awards ceremony last week, PC Timothy Rush was commended for his ‘work on Operation Winlock and for preventing further harm to the community’.

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Assistant Chief Constable Dave Miller said: “It was an absolute privilege to be able to present awards and meet the recipients at the Operations Command ceremony on 25 July.

“Officers, staff and volunteers from across Surrey Police and Sussex Police were recognised for bravery, dedication to duty, going above and beyond what was expected of them and also for working really hard behind the scenes to keep the machinery of policing running smoothly.

“I am always genuinely humbled to be part of these ceremonies and this one was no exception. The people who work in Operations Command do exceptional work every day and it was great to see some of them receive certificates and commendations.

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“It’s a testament as to how valued and important their work is that the chief constables from both forces took time out of their busy schedules to be there, and also present commendations. It was great to see so many families and friends in attendance to share the experience with their loved ones.”

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