PC David Rathband survived a near fatal shooting when he became one of Raoul Moat's victims in 2010. Blinded in the attack David is an inspiring and entertaining speaker.
Pc David Rathband had just 90 minutes left to the end of his shift. He was sitting in his traffic car at a roundabout in Newcastle, in the early hours of 4 July last year when he was shot in the face and shoulder with a sawn off shotgun by gunman Raoul Moat.
David who was blinded in the attack is one of a very small number of UK Police Officers who have survived such a horrific attack
Unbeknown to him Raoul Moat had been out "hunting for officers" to shoot. He circled the roundabout twice with his henchmen and when they pulled over out of sight Moat crept up to the car.
Recounting what happened Pc Rathband said"I had that feeling you get when you feel someone is watching you. I looked out of the back passenger window and saw a guy crouching on the ground, walking towards me. I realised pretty quickly that it was Raoul Moat. He had a shotgun - he raised it and pulled the trigger. I saw a bright, white light. I realised I'd been shot in the face. I knew my eyes had gone. There was a noise, so loud that it hurt.... I thought of my children in my mind and I knew I didn't want to die on that roundabout."
Despite the injury and blood loss that resulted, the officer managed to open his driver's door. He tried to activate an alarm, but Moat fired again. Pc Rathband realised that Moat intended to kill him and so kept still, pretending to be dead until the gunman ran away.
Despite being seriously injured, David demonstrated extreme bravery by alerting his colleagues and even managing to give fellow officers vital information about the incident, which has proved valuable during the course of the investigation
Pc Rathband 43 and a married father-of-two was left to fight for his life in hospital while colleagues hunted Moat for six days in one of Britains largest Police Manhunts, involving several Police Forces, Moat, having been hunted eventually shot himself after a six hour stand off.
David says he can never forget the night Moat shot him. "Sometimes in bed I look to my left and his face is lying next to me on the pillow," he said. "But I'm determined I'll go back and proudly wear my uniform, just as I used to. Anyway, I want to finish my shift.
David who has been a police officer for over a decade had a tough childhood and as a young kid never thought that one day he would be in the Police. Throughout Davids school years, he had many opportunities to become involved in crime and a brief encounter when he was aged 16; where he himself was shoved into the back of a blacked out Police Van and driven around for a length of time...this had the desired effect, preventing David from entering into the world of crime, which included, drugs, counterfeit money and robbery“ need a quote that says something along the lines of what David told me which was as a youngster I spent quite a bit of time in the back of a police car –“
In the meantime David is speaking at events around the country and whilst his hugely inspiring speech is undoubtedly emotive and at times horrifying it is also peppered with humour.
When he is not speaking he is running his charitable Blue Lamp Foundation which aims to raise 1 million pounds in 3 years to support other emergency service workers who are injured whilst on duty as a result of a violent criminal act. David is currently training for the London 2011 Marathon.
David who was blinded in the attack is one of a very small number of UK Police Officers who have survived such a horrific attack
Unbeknown to him Raoul Moat had been out "hunting for officers" to shoot. He circled the roundabout twice with his henchmen and when they pulled over out of sight Moat crept up to the car.
Recounting what happened Pc Rathband said"I had that feeling you get when you feel someone is watching you. I looked out of the back passenger window and saw a guy crouching on the ground, walking towards me. I realised pretty quickly that it was Raoul Moat. He had a shotgun - he raised it and pulled the trigger. I saw a bright, white light. I realised I'd been shot in the face. I knew my eyes had gone. There was a noise, so loud that it hurt.... I thought of my children in my mind and I knew I didn't want to die on that roundabout."
Despite the injury and blood loss that resulted, the officer managed to open his driver's door. He tried to activate an alarm, but Moat fired again. Pc Rathband realised that Moat intended to kill him and so kept still, pretending to be dead until the gunman ran away.
Despite being seriously injured, David demonstrated extreme bravery by alerting his colleagues and even managing to give fellow officers vital information about the incident, which has proved valuable during the course of the investigation
Pc Rathband 43 and a married father-of-two was left to fight for his life in hospital while colleagues hunted Moat for six days in one of Britains largest Police Manhunts, involving several Police Forces, Moat, having been hunted eventually shot himself after a six hour stand off.
David says he can never forget the night Moat shot him. "Sometimes in bed I look to my left and his face is lying next to me on the pillow," he said. "But I'm determined I'll go back and proudly wear my uniform, just as I used to. Anyway, I want to finish my shift.
David who has been a police officer for over a decade had a tough childhood and as a young kid never thought that one day he would be in the Police. Throughout Davids school years, he had many opportunities to become involved in crime and a brief encounter when he was aged 16; where he himself was shoved into the back of a blacked out Police Van and driven around for a length of time...this had the desired effect, preventing David from entering into the world of crime, which included, drugs, counterfeit money and robbery“ need a quote that says something along the lines of what David told me which was as a youngster I spent quite a bit of time in the back of a police car –“
In the meantime David is speaking at events around the country and whilst his hugely inspiring speech is undoubtedly emotive and at times horrifying it is also peppered with humour.
When he is not speaking he is running his charitable Blue Lamp Foundation which aims to raise 1 million pounds in 3 years to support other emergency service workers who are injured whilst on duty as a result of a violent criminal act. David is currently training for the London 2011 Marathon.
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