NSW Police officer responding to Wakeley church riot suffered broken jaw from alleged coward punch

Within minutes of a police officer arriving to help the victims of a terror attack at a Sydney church, he was set upon and repeatedly smashed over the head with a house brick by rioters.

A police officer was allegedly coward punched from behind and then repeatedly beaten over the head with a house brick by rioters, within minutes of arriving to help the victims of a terror attack at a Sydney church.

The “extremely violent” nature of the riot that left the officer with a broken jaw and saw a whopping 104 police cars damaged has led to an enormous response from NSW Police.

Senior police have told The Daily Telegraph what happened after the alleged stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel at Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley was so “extremely violent”, they are hunting those involved using the same tactics they would to investigate an underworld murder.

The riot left one police officer with a broken jaw and 104 police cars damaged. Picture: Liam Mendes

NSW Police Superintendent Andrew Evans has issued a stern warning to those involved in the Wakeley riot - hand yourselves in, before we break down your door. Picture: Richard Dobson

“Yesterday I read a statement of a police officer who was hit in the head with a brick and suffered a broken jaw,” Superintendent Andrew Evans said.

“He had turned up at the scene within 15 minutes of the first call … to provide first aid to the bishop, the other priest and anyone else.

“But as he’s walking through the gates to go into the church he was allegedly coward punched from behind for no particular reason, and then when he attempts to arrest that individuals he set upon by two or three others.

“It’s cowardly, it’s vicious and it’s extremely violent.”

Police have released pictures of men they believe can assist with inquiries into a riot at Wakeley, including Person A (above). Picture: NSW Police

Strike Force Dribs was formed last week to investigate the riot, with police on Monday releasing the faces of a number of men they wish to speak to in relation to the riot.

There’s no suggestion those pictured were involved in the alleged coward punch attack on the officer.

The images were seized from CCTV, dash cam and an abundance of phone vision which was uploaded to social media and circulated on WhatsApp.

Police wish to speak to the above men, Person B... Picture: NSW Police

... and Person C. Picture: NSW Police

Some of the men police wish to speak to can be seen jumping on top of police cars, while others have their faces covered to conceal their identity.

One of the men, dubbed Person F, attended a Sydney police station to speak to officers and was released without charge.

Superintendent Evans previously worked on Taskforce Magnus, which investigated the spree of underworld murders in Sydney in 2023.

An estimated 2,000 people gathered outside Christ the Good Shepherd church on Monday, April 15. Picture: Michelle Haywood

One of the 104 police cars damaged in the riot. Picture: Michelle Haywood

He said many of the same policing methods were now being used to identify the rioters and warned those involved to hand themselves in, before police break down their door.

“We’re going through cell towers, enhancing CCTV images and social media photos, and reviewing police body worn vision, and in doing all of that we’ve been able to identify what individual actions people have taken,” Supt Evans said.

“The majority of people who were there after the Bishop was taken from the church in an ambulance were there to cause a major violent event.

“The best course of action they could take would be to hand themselves in at their nearest police station.

“But if those men want their door knocked in by a specialist tactical team and to have their families see that, no worries.

“We’ll locate them and charge them, I have no doubt about that.”

Supt Evans also praised the efforts of officers, many of them junior in rank, who stood toe-to-toe with angry mob to stop the riot.

“The bravery of those police and the ability to quell that riot, makes us the best police force in the world,” he said.

“Not many other police forces would have been able to get to that scene and dispel that riot so quickly. I'm very, very proud of them.”

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