A heroic Team GB boxing coach who jumped over a fence to try and save PC Keith Palmer’s life has recalled how he saw ‘the shine of the blades’.
Tony Davis, a coach for the British Lionhearts boxing team, was leaving a press event with a group of boxers when he saw the attack taking place.
He ran towards the danger and later put PC Palmer in the recovery position and tried to resuscitate him.
Mr Davis, who served 22 years in the military, also recalled how a police officer who was stood with PC Palmer told bystanders to ‘run’ shouting ‘they’ve got knives’ which he said ‘probably saved countless lives and injuries’.
Mr Davis recalled seeing the moment he saw the brave officer stabbed on ITV’s This Morning
Mr Davis, who served 22 years in the military, said he faced ‘a fight or flight moment’
Tony Davis (front, wearing red trainers), who was visiting the Houses of Parliament for a press conference, put PC Keith Palmer in the recovery position and tried to resuscitate him
The boxing coach (rear top right, with blue jacket and white shirt) revealed how he put his raincoat underneath the officer to try to stem the blood as much as he could
Mr Davis, from Darlington in County Durham, had been visiting the Commons with students from the Hammersmith Boxing Academy to launch a community project.
Speaking to ITV’s Good Morning Britain today the boxing coach thought the commotion he witnessed might have been a fight or a protest.
However he quickly realised it was something far more serious and his fighting instincts kicked in.
He said: ‘There were people running. Everything happened dead quick and I knew the mood had changed when the attacker came through the gates and started attacking the policeman.
‘I saw the shine off the blades and there was quite a lot of people in front of me, I was fenced in, and so I tried to gesture for people to move and there was people running in all different directions. I got in enough space to leap the fence and run towards the situation because it was a fight or flight moment and I thought these people needed help, so that’s what I done.
‘As soon as I leaped the fence and my feet landed on the ground there was one of the policeman that was stood with Keith who shouted “run”, and saying the words “they’ve got knives” and I thought I’d made possibly the wrong decision and we were being attacked in numbers…fortunately we weren’t.
‘Because of that gentleman’s actions he probably saved countless lives and injuries.’
In a previous interview he said: ‘I recalled out of the corner of my eye one of the marksmen coming out and putting three rounds in the attacker.’
Mr Davis then rushed in to give PC Palmer CPR.
He put his raincoat underneath the officer to try to stem the blood as much as he could.
PC Keith Palmer was stabbed to death in the Westminster terror attack in March
He said: ‘About 90 seconds into it another guy called Mike [Army Captain Mike Crofts] came and joined in and at this time there were lots of police around, Keith’s colleagues. Three and a half minutes was when the MP [Tobias Ellwood] came in and sort of took over CPR.’
Mr Davis has since been recognised for his bravery and given a commendation from St John’s.
Khalid Masood killed four people by ramming them with his car on Westminster Bridge before stabbing to death PC Palmer just inside the grounds of Parliament on March 22.
Masood was shot dead within the grounds of the Palace of Westminster by police after attacking PC Palmer.
In total Masood’s murderous rampage lasted just 82 seconds.
Mother-of-two Aysha Frade, US tourist Kurt Cochran and retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes died after Masood drove his car into people on Westminster Bridge.
Romanian tourist Andreea Cristea was knocked into the Thames from the bridge. She died just over two weeks later.