Dramatic bodycam footage has revealed the terrifying moment a police officer was shot with a crossbow bolt before his assailant launched a vicious stabbing attack on a neighbour in a quiet South London street.
The violent rampage, which unfolded in Southwark, was the brutal culmination of a long-running and bitter neighbour dispute. The attacker, 47-year-old Bryce Hodgson, was subsequently sentenced to an indefinite hospital order after pleading guilty to a string of charges.
A Policeman's Terrifying Ordeal
The incident began when police were called to a residential property on a routine welfare check. As officers approached, the situation escalated with horrifying speed. Body-worn video shows the moment Hodgson, lying in wait, fires a crossbow directly at a uniformed officer from close range.
The bolt struck the officer in the chest, with its 4-inch steel tip lodging just centimetres from his heart. Miraculously, the officer's life was saved by his issued body armour, which absorbed the devastating impact of the shot.
A Neighbourhood Feud Turns Savage
After shooting the officer, Hodgson, armed with a knife and a sword, then turned his rage towards his neighbour—the intended target of his wrath. In a frenzied attack, he stabbed the man multiple times in the garden of his own home.
The victim, who had been involved in the protracted dispute with Hodgson, sustained serious injuries in the assault but thankfully survived the ordeal.
Dramatic Arrest and Sentencing
The scene was finally brought under control when armed response units arrived. Hodgson was tasered and arrested at the scene, putting an end to his violent spree.
At Inner London Crown Court, Hodgson admitted to charges of attempted grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent against the police officer and possession of an offensive weapon. For the stabbing, he pleaded guilty to Section 18 wounding with intent against his neighbour. The court heard he was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia at the time of the attacks.
Judge Usha Karu handed down an indefinite hospital order, stating Hodgson would only be released if and when he is deemed no longer a danger to the public.
Commander Owain Richards of the Metropolitan Police praised the incredible bravery of the responding officers, stating the bodycam footage served as a "stark reminder of the dangers police officers face every day."
