A POLICE officer who tackled an aggressive man who threatening to kill him before throwing petrol around and trying to light it has been nominated for a bravery award.

Thames Valley PC Garry Dixon was expecting to find a routine domestic incident when he was dispatched to a home address in Abingdon on 28 September 2013.

But when he arrived to find an aggressive man smashing up a garden shed surrounded by weapons, he soon realised he had become part of a volatile and escalating situation.

Accompanied by three Special Constables, including one still in training, PC Dixon was forced to think quickly while remaining calm to decide how best to deal with the increasingly violent offender.

For more than an hour he attempted to negotiate with the man - who by now had started to throw objects at the officers and caused injury to himself by hitting his head with a hammer - while trying to minimise the risk of harm to everyone involved.

The force said Mr Dixon directed the Special Constables to assist with the negotiations adding the man was behaving unpredictably from smiling menacingly, to threats and to throwing hammers.

Threatening to kill the officers, the offender reached for a container of petrol and started to spray it around, in the direction of PC Dixon.

The man then produced a lighter, which he struck.

As the man started to douse himself with lighter fluid, PC Dixon tackled him to the ground. He showed resistance, but PC Dixon was able to bring him under control with support from the Specials.

“It was at this point that I realised I needed to act,” said PC Dixon, who has been a serving officer for seven years and is based with the response team at Abingdon police station.

“It all happened very quickly. It was quite scary at the time and looking back it could have ended very differently.”

Police said the man, aged 23, was arrested and later charged and convicted for making threats to kill. He pleaded guilty at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on March 7 2014 and received a 12-month conditional discharge.

Graham Smith, chairman of the Thames Valley Police Federation, said the incident had the potential for him and his colleges to be seriously injured or worse.

He added: "PC Dixon showed great courage, leadership, tactical and communication skills that resolved this very difficult and emotional situation."

The actions of Constable Garry Dixon will be recognised at the 21st Police Bravery Awards on July 14.

The awards honour and recognise police officers who performed outstanding acts of bravery while on or off duty, and are sponsored by Police Mutual.

Stephen Mann, CEO of Police Mutual, said: “This year marks the 21st anniversary of the Police Bravery Awards and the eighth consecutive year that Police Mutual has sponsored them.

"We are proud to continue our support for such an inspirational event in the Policing calendar and to be able to show our respect for the exceptional courage shown by Police Officers who risk their lives every day to protect the public.”

PC Garry Dixon also received a Chief Constables commendation for his bravery.