A Lincolnshire Police officer is in line for a bravery award after being shot in the face at the start of a 12-hour armed siege.
PC Steven Hull and PC Karen Irving were first on the scene after Barry Horspool, 61, threatened to kill himself and a police officer.
Their job was to keep watch until armed police and negotiators arrived.
But out of the blue, Horspool fired his sawn off rifle, which shattered the windscreen. The bullet went through PC Hull's lip and embedded itself in his jaw.
The shot could have proved fatal if he had not moved his head at the last moment.
PC Hull already had the car in reverse with the engine running, so they quickly pulled out of the danger area.
PC Irving gave him first aid and despite the injury, the pair remained to guard the scene and keep the public away.
The siege ended when Mr Horspool shot himself as police surrounded his home.
Both PC Hull and PC Irving are now in line for Police Bravery Awards following the incident in Sutton St James on January 31, 2012.
PC Hull, 33, who is married with children and now serves as a detective constable, said: "It was all a bit surreal.
"It's almost beyond belief. I saw blood all over the car. I could feel something lodged in my mouth but I had no idea it was a bullet until the doctor removed it in hospital.
"I thought my injury was a shard of glass from the window. I wouldn't say I felt particularly brave when I reversed out of there."
"It was instinctive, driven by adrenalin at the time," he said.
"I was trying to get us to an area that was safe."
PC Irving, 49, who has two grown-up children and three grandsons, said: "When we got there we chose what we thought was a safe position.
"After the Raoul Moat thing we made sure we were in front of the fence line so no-one could come along and be point blank at us.
"We were keeping a close eye for any movement from the house.
"I noticed a top window was open and I said to Steve: 'That curtain moved'.
"As I said that Steve moved his head a bit and then the windscreen came in.
"It was just a massive bang and there was blood all over the car and all over me.
"I initially thought he had lost half his head.
"I was frightened to look at him then I saw his eyes move.
"He reversed down the road.
"All he kept saying was: 'Is he coming after us?' Steve was really calm.
"All I had in my mind was Hungerford and I thought: 'Not on my watch'.
"I was just doing my job. We were there to try to save this man from hurting himself or his family."
An inquest into Mr Horspool's death concluded he took his own life.
The court heard he had not spoken to his daughter for two weeks after a family dispute.
He died on his granddaughter's first birthday.
Police received a call from the girl's dad who was visiting his parents-in-law with his young daughter.
His father-in-law Mr Horspool had locked himself in an outhouse after firing a gun.
The caller got his mother-in-law and daughter out of the house.
Jon Hassall, chairman of Lincolnshire Police Federation, said: "These officers put themselves in harm's way to protect the public and it could easily have ended up with an officer paying the ultimate price.
"With ever decreasing officer numbers the public need to know that there are officers such as these who day in day out and night in night out will put their safety on the line to protect us all."
The Police Bravery Awards, hosted with Police Mutual, takes place on tomorrow at Plaisterers' Hall, in London.
