Support Our Police — Supporting and Recognising the People Who Serve in Policing Support Our Police. Supporting and Recognising the People Who Serve in Policing.
Positive police story

Off-Duty Special Sergeant Intervenes in Serious Dagenham Attack

Metropolitan PoliceSource published 12 May 2026Support Our Police summary

An off-duty Metropolitan Police Special Sergeant detained a suspect after encountering a violent attack while walking home from work.

Illustrative policing image accompanying this story
Illustrative image created for Support Our Police. It does not depict the named officers or the specific incident.

An off-duty Metropolitan Police Special Sergeant encountered a violent scene in Dagenham while walking home from work and intervened despite having no protective equipment or colleagues with him.

The Met reported that Special Police Sergeant Seff Serroukh saw an injured woman and child in the road, realised the seriousness of the situation and moved towards the address. When the suspect emerged, the officer detained him and kept him under control until colleagues arrived.

The three victims survived serious injuries. In May 2026 the Metropolitan Police reported that the defendant had been convicted of attempted murder and grievous bodily harm.

The story is striking because the officer was technically off duty and without normal safety equipment. His response illustrates the service instinct that can continue beyond the end of a shift.

Primary source

Editorial note

Support Our Police summarises positive policing stories from primary sources. We do not present force press releases as independent investigations. See our Editorial Standards.