Two more police officers were injured in two separate incidents overnight while working to keep residents safe – the latest in a rising tide of assaults on emergency workers.
One suffered an injury to his thumb after being dragged to the ground in a struggle by a man who was being arrested on suspicion of dealing crack and heroin.
Another suffered a cut to his head, which had to be glued, when a suspect allegedly lashed out after officers challenged him for urinating on someone’s garden fence.
Assistant Chief Constable Steve Cooper, of Nottinghamshire Police, said he was saddened by the latest incidents and warned anyone who assaults emergency workers they can expect to be swiftly brought to justice.
“At people’s times of greatest need, the police are one of the first agencies they turn to for help,” he said.
“When police officers put on the uniform they go out to work to protect the public and try their utmost to ensure the best possible outcomes for victims of crime.
“Every time I hear about one of our officers being assaulted it is shocking and upsetting.
“We have repeatedly stressed that this is not just part of the job and any assault on emergency workers – physical or verbal – will be treated as a crime and dealt with accordingly.
“Assaults on emergency workers are treated very seriously by the courts and I can assure anyone who assaults our officers, or any other emergency workers, that we will put them in front of magistrates as soon as possible.”
One of the incidents happened after patrolling officers stopped a vehicle in Mill Street, Old Basford, at around 6.45pm yesterday (Friday 6 August).
After searching the vehicle they found a number of wraps of drugs, suspected to be heroin and crack cocaine.
Officers put the suspect in handcuffs before he allegedly became aggressive and hit out at the officer, forcing him to the ground and struggling with him, injuring the officer’s thumb.
He was resisting arrest so much that officers had to use leg straps to restrain him.
Officers also found a hammer in the footwell of the car.
A 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer, possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply, possession of an offensive weapon, driving without insurance and criminal damage to a police body-worn camera.
Later the same day, officers were attending a report of a car in a ditch in Nottingham Road, Gotham, when they saw what appeared to be an intoxicated man urinating on someone’s garden fence.
When they challenged him he became aggressive toward officers, resulting in them arresting him on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly.
However, the suspect then allegedly swung at three officers, all of whom fell to the ground, including one who hit his head on the floor. He was taken to the Queen’s Medical Centre for treatment and later discharged.
During a search of the suspect, officers also recovered a bag of white powder, believed to be cocaine.
A 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer, being drunk and disorderly and possession of Class A drugs.
Mr Cooper added: “The welfare of our officers is of paramount importance and the injured officers in these incidents will be given the appropriate support by the force.”
