A SQUAD of seven police officers who had ‘bullets’ shot at them during an ‘erratic’ 14-hour long stand off have received an award for their bravery.

Duncan Shearman, who was 26 at the time, brought the entire city to a standstill in May 2018 when he began pointing an ‘arsenal’ of weapons and firing round after round.

Oxford Mail:

Sergeant Gordon McKay, PC Claire Dye-Lewis, PC James O'Carroll, PC Jonathon Lewis, PC Rob Lucarotti, Inspector Euan Livingstone and PC Pete Smillie were first on the scene when they received reports of Shearman initially threatening his neighbour with a gun at the block of flats he lived in on Paradise Square.

Oxford Mail:

Duncan Shearman. Pic Thames Valley Police

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When they arrived they rescued his dad from the situation, but the gunman then barricaded his door and retreated inside his flat.

Realising he still represented a danger to himself and others the officers made a very limited entry to the property to get some form of communication with him.

As they did that he tried to leap over his second-floor balcony but instead ended up hopping from balcony to balcony to try and escape.

Within seconds and without any warning he then began to fire shots at the officers – who now had taken positions at the sides of the flats.

Rather than coming to the front of the property to engage the officers, the man focused his fire using two handguns on the officers on the other side of the properties who by now were having to return fire to get the incident to a safe end.

The officers also used a baton gun on Shearman, but it didn't have much effect and he carried on shooting.

Eventually, the officers managed to make an emergency search entry into the gunman's property, which went on for several hours as they tried to negotiate with him.

Eventually, at 2.55am, Shearman surrendered and was arrested by police.

It was later revealed that of the array of weapons he had used to unleash terror on the city none were capable of firing live rounds.

Oxford Mail:

Read again: Duncan Shearman sentencing

Sgt McKay said the incident had been one of the most challenging in his armed police career, explaining that it escalated very quickly and praising the team effort.

He and the six other officers have now been awarded a Thames Valley Police bravery award for their professionalism in a 'terrifying' situation.

TVP Federation head Craig O' Leary said: "The officers’ got their tactics absolutely right in very challenging conditions and circumstances."

At his sentencing at Oxford Crown Court in June last year Judge Maria Lamb called the 26-year-old's behaviour that day 'erratic', adding that he had been seen chewing and removing his clothing.

She said he was lucky to be alive after an officer fired a live round which 'by luck' missed him.

Shearman was ultimately jailed for six years and will also serve a four-year period of extended licence.

He was also made subject to an indefinite restraining order against his neighbour and covering the area of Paradise Square.