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A senior detective has revealed that a police officer attacked with a hunting knife in Londonderry escaped serious, potentially fatal injuries thanks to their body armour. The incident occurred at around 2:00 AM on Thursday in the Collon Lane area. Following the attack, two men were detained, with one arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. This event comes shortly after a series of assaults last week, in which nine officers were attacked across four separate incidents in the northwest, some sustaining injuries severe enough to prevent them from completing their shifts.
Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton provided further details, explaining that officers had initially been communicating with a 21-year-old man through an open window when he suddenly struck one of them in the face, causing a nosebleed. The police subsequently entered the premises, attempting to arrest the suspect, during which two officers were attacked with a serrated hunting knife measuring approximately five inches. One officer suffered a deep three-inch cut to the knee, requiring hospital treatment. When officers tried to speak with another individual, a 20-year-old man, he assaulted two officers and spat on an officer’s glasses. While in custody, he also assaulted a detention officer.
DCC Singleton described the event as a profoundly traumatic experience, affecting both the officers involved and their families. He highlighted that in the past year, more than 2,500 assaults on members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) had been reported. He emphasized the importance of raising public and political awareness about the dangers police face daily while protecting the community, stating, “We hope that by sharing details of this incident, we can again get members of the public and their political representatives a better understanding, and hopefully a better appreciation, of the risks police officers and staff face every single day as they protect our community.”
Addressing the media later the same day, DCC Singleton identified knives as the greatest threat officers encounter, noting the increasing prevalence of such weapons during police interventions. He stressed the unpredictable nature of their work and the severe consequences potential attacks carry, describing the deliberate intent behind these assaults as “really sinister.” Singleton argued that police officers should not have to accept such violence as part of their job, highlighting that increased reporting of assaults reflects a refusal to tolerate these attacks. He called upon the police service and the wider justice system to deliver unequivocal messages against such behaviour to protect officers on duty.
Elaine McCormill of the Police Federation of Northern Ireland expressed her sympathy for the injured officers and their families. She condemned the ongoing violence faced by those attempting to perform their duties, stating, “I think it’s shocking that we stand here time and time again calling out the criminal behaviour and the attacks on our officers when they’re trying to do their job.” McCormill emphasized the psychological and physical challenges the officers now face in recovering from their injuries and urged for a coordinated government and community response to prevent future attacks, including the implementation of tougher sentencing measures
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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