In a concerning development, seventeen police officers have been subjected to assaults in various incidents across Northern Ireland within the past 24 hours.
Four police officers in Coalisland were attacked on Saturday afternoon while attending to a man found collapsed on the street. The man unexpectedly became aggressive, head-butting one officer and assaulting others by punching, spitting, and kicking. Even after being arrested and placed in a police vehicle, the individual continued to lash out, causing damage to the interior and rendering the vehicle unusable for several hours. The 38-year-old suspect has been charged with multiple offences, including assault on police, grievous bodily harm, criminal damage, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He is scheduled to appear at Enniskillen Magistrates Court tomorrow. Two of the injured officers received hospital treatment but have since returned to duty.
Shortly after midnight, five officers responding to a report of domestic assault in Antrim were injured when a man attacked them with a large piece of broken glass. Three officers sustained cuts and lacerations that required medical attention. The suspect, a 32-year-old man, was subsequently arrested and caused further damage to a police vehicle, which had to be taken out of service for the remainder of the night. The arrested individual is currently in police custody.
In Ballymena, three officers who were attending a reported assault on a man in the Linenhall Street area were punched in the face and head, and their uniforms and equipment were damaged. A 28-year-old man has been arrested and is currently in police custody.
Additionally, in Belfast, three officers were spat on and struck in the face by a man they were transporting to a hospital. The individual had sustained injuries in an earlier altercation and turned violent towards the officers. He has been arrested and remains in custody.
Two further incidents occurred in Belfast. A 34-year-old man has been charged with assaulting police, criminal damage, and disorderly behavior following a disturbance in Union Street during the early hours of Sunday. He is scheduled to appear at Belfast Magistrates Court on November 3. Similarly, a 30-year-old woman has been charged after assaulting an officer outside a Belfast hospital and causing damage to a police car. She is also expected to appear at Belfast Magistrates Court on November 3. A 29-year-old man arrested at the same time on suspicion of assaulting police has been released pending a report to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS).
Assistant Chief Constable Chris Todd expressed his dismay at the incidents, stating, “It is appalling that any police officer should be subjected to violence whilst simply doing their job. For seventeen individual officers to be subjected to violence, spat on, kicked, and slashed in a single day beggars belief.” He further emphasised that while officers are aware of the risks they face, it is entirely unacceptable for them to be physically attacked. Todd highlighted the grim reality that officers on the ground encounter daily as they strive to assist people and maintain community safety.
