The acting police commissioner has condemned an attack on two female officers after a man was arrested in Sydney’s west overnight after an alleged attack which left one unconscious on a street.
Before 6.30pm on Friday, two on-duty female police officers were called to Bidwill, in the city’s north-west, for a mental health incident following reports that a 19-year-old man was lying in the middle of Bunya Road.
A 19-year-old man has been arrested in Sydney’s south after allegedly assaulting two police officers. Credit: Edwina Pickles
The officers tried to communicate with the man before tensions escalated. He allegedly kicked one officer, a 23-year-old woman, in the stomach and then punched her in the face, causing her to fall to the ground unconscious.
A second police officer, 22, attempted to intervene but was also allegedly punched in the face and unsuccessfully tried to deploy capsicum spray to defend herself. Two more police officers attended the scene shortly afterwards and arrested the man.
Acting NSW Police Commissioner Peter Thurtell described the attack as “sickening”, saying that assaulting a police officer is completely unacceptable.
“This is a sickening attack, and those officers were just doing their job. Incidents like these clearly demonstrate the bravery and courage of officers who are just doing their best to protect the community,” Thurtell said.
“Police officers put themselves on the frontline and in danger every single day – they deserve respect, not violence.”
Paramedics arrived at the scene to treat the 23-year-old woman before transporting her to Westmead Hospital in a stable condition. The other 22-year-old officer was also treated at the scene for minor injuries and taken to Mount Druitt Hospital as a precaution.
The man was taken to Mount Druitt Police Station and then Nepean Hospital.
Both women have been discharged from the hospital, and a crime scene has been established while police investigate the circumstances of the incident.
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