A police officer lost a tooth after being headbutted while responding to reports of a man throwing items in a shop.
The attack was one of two assaults on police officers while doing their job keeping people safe on Wednesday evening.
Arrests were made in each of the incidents – and officers have reiterated that attacks on emergency workers are unacceptable.
One happened when police were called to reports that a man had become aggressive and was throwing items in a shop in Chesterfield Road South, Mansfield. As they arrived, they took action to arrest a 40-year-old on suspicion of causing criminal damage. One of the officers is then said to have been headbutted, causing a cut to the face and a tooth to be knocked out.
The man was further arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker following the incident, which happened at around 8.25pm on Wednesday (17 November 2021).
Meanwhile, officers in Netherfield were responding to reports that a car wing mirror had been deliberately damaged in Chandos Street, when they came across a group of teenagers – also around 8.25pm
One of the girls allegedly became aggressive and shouted abuse at officers and during this time the window to one of the buildings around the corner, in Morris Street, had been smashed.
As police detained her, an officer was kicked to the hands and the legs, but thankfully no lasting injuries are believed to have been sustained.
A 16-year-old girl was subsequently arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker, public order offences and criminal damage.
Sergeant Simon Spooner, from Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Officers and other emergency workers are in the community every day, responding to incidents and keeping the public safe.
“It is therefore disgraceful and disheartening to hear when these efforts are met with violence and aggression.
“There is never any justification for assaulting an emergency worker and it absolutely shouldn’t be considered ‘part of the job’ to be assaulted or abused. As we have shown time and time again, we take a zero-tolerance approach to reports of this nature and we will take robust action against anyone who displays this behaviour. The courts also take such incidents extremely seriously.”
Sergeant Matthew Burgess, from Nottinghamshire Police, said: “One of the officers assaulted suffered injuries which he required treatment for, and the other was initially hurt but found to have no lasting injuries. Thankfully, both are recovering and are receiving support.
“A man and a girl have been arrested and our enquiries into the incident are ongoing. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information is asked to get in touch on 101, quoting incident 770 of 17 November for the incident in Chesterfield Road, and 780 of 17 November for Morris Street.”
