A police sergeant who tackled a pistol-wielding hostage-taker earlier this year was commended for bravery in the line of duty earlier today.

Justin Spiteri was named Officer of the Year after he was shot in the leg when he disarmed a man who had been holding a woman hostage at gun point in her own bedroom in Mosta last March.

“After hours of negotiating he agreed to let the woman go. Once he put his shotgun down too I stormed the room but he had a pistol under his belt and shot me during the struggle,” Mr Spiteri told the Times of Malta.

He was commended by Police Commissioner Lawrence Cutajar for protecting his fellow officers from harm and successfully disarming the gunman.

This was not Mr Spiteri’s only brush with danger this year. He was also commended for disarming a second gunman, this time when he was off duty “relaxed at home wearing shorts”.

“I heard a commotion outside my home and saw a man holding a hunter’s shotgun and another with a long metal rod. I went to my service bag and got out my pepper spray and handcuffs and managed to disarm them,” he said.

Mr Spiteri was one of several other officers to be commended for their services at today’s annual awards ceremony.

The ceremony also saw the St Julian’s Police District awarded the force shield. The award is given out to the district which achieves the biggest reduction in crime.

Statistics on the amount the district had reduced crime by was not available at the time of the ceremony but Mr Cutajar said it was “considerable”.

“This district is often in the lime light and we all know the challenges facing officers there. The efforts being made are phenomenal and the results really do speak for themselves,” he said.

The officers were also congratulated by Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela.