Tongan-born Pes Fa'’aui has received one of New Zealand'’s highest bravery awards.

Pes, a Waitakere City Council parking warden receives the New Zealand Bravery Decoration. He is among just five people nationwide to receive the Decoration, announced on the Special Royal Honours list by the New Zealand Governor-General on October 14.

The honour is in recognition of his efforts in subduing a knife-wielding man in Railside Ave, Henderson, in late 2005.

The man had attacked and seriously wounded a store owner before fatally stabbing a 65-year old shopper. He was advancing on a police officer when Pes, who was on duty at the time, wrestled him to the ground.

The NZBD citation says: "Mr Fa'aui'’s act of exceptional bravery led to the arrest of a dangerous offender and possibly saved a police office from serious injury. Mr Fa'aui's action prevented any further possibility of injury or death to others in the vicinity, including the police officer who had originally confronted the offender as well as the offender himself."

Pes (36) himself received cuts and stitches in the struggle but was back on the job within days of the incident. Soon afterwards the quietly spoken father of six, also received a special citation from Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey, on behalf of the City.

In accepting the latest honour Pes acknowledged the victim of the knife attack (65-year-old Kevan Newman). "“He was an innocent old gentleman and while I am deeply honoured and humbled by the award I can...’t help but think of him and what his family has gone through."

"“I have been labelled a "‘hero"’ since the incident. But that term is not for me. The real heroes in our community are those men and women in our armed forces and those who fought for this country- and especially those that died in the process. And also our emergency services- the fire, ambulance, police, and hospital staff who deal with major incidents, every day, that we never see or hear about."

"They are potentially at risk every day and often they are taken for granted by the wider community- until we need them,"” says Pes.

It was not the first time that Pes has displayed bravery above and beyond the call of duty. In 1997, also whilst on duty as a parking officer, he chased and caught a couple who had stolen jewellery from a store in a suburban shopping area. With the help of a fellow officer, he tried to remove the keys from the ignition before leaping into the backseat of the get-a-way car. The delay gave police enough time to get to the scene and arrest the pair.

Mayor Harvey describes the Council employee as "an exceptional bloke."

"“Pes clearly puts others before himself, even in the most dangerous of situations and we are all just so pleased that such a humble, down to earth, person is being honoured like this."

Pes was born in Nuku'alofa and came to New Zealand with his family aged 4.