Police appeal for help after Liverpool Council ranger assaulted
Three young women have been praised for intervening during an sickening attack on a southwest Sydney council ranger, which left the expectant father with serious facial injuries.
Liverpool
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Three young women have been praised for intervening during an attack on a southwest Sydney council ranger, which left the expectant father with serious facial injuries.
Police continue to appeal for help after the 35-year-old man was knocked unconscious while on the job in the Liverpool CBD.
Images have been released of a man detectives believe can assist with their inquiries.
The man is described as being of Middle Eastern or Mediterranean appearance with short black hair and an athletic build. He was wearing a black Nike long-sleeved top.
Police said two council rangers were walking along Norfolk Serviceway just before 12.30pm on Tuesday when they were confronted by the occupants of a white Subaru WRX Impreza.
It is alleged the passenger approached one of the rangers and punched him in the face, causing the 35-year-old man to fall to the ground unconscious.
The man, who is expecting his first child, was taken to Liverpool Hospital after sustaining three fractures to his jaw and is expected to undergo surgery today.
The second ranger was not injured.
Liverpool City Police Area Command crime manager Detective Chief Inspector Dean Johnstone described the assailants as “cowardly thugs” who became violent without “provocation” and for “no reason whatsoever”.
He said the parking rangers were ticketing another vehicle when the men in the Subaru pulled up behind them.
“As they were ticketing the vehicle, one of the rangers was taking photographs, as per their duties, and these two males were of the belief that they were actually having their photographs taken.
“These two males took exception to that and there was an aggressive confrontation between the two males and the two parking rangers.
“This is a cowardly act. This is a callous act upon two men who were going about their duties. They are council rangers. They have a job to do and they were simply doing that job.”
Chief Inspector Johnstone commended three women who intervened verbally and captured footage of the incident.
“The actions of those women who intervened potentially stopped a further, more serious assault upon two men who were simply doing their job,” he said.
Police have also released an image of the vehicle the men were in at the time, with further investigations identifying the registration plate as fraudulent.
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Liverpool Council chief executive Kiersten Fishburn said it was “incredibly distressing” to learn one of her staff had been assaulted while undertaking their duties.
She said council staff were rallying around their colleague.
“They are very distressed that someone who is a valued staff member and who they know has been hurt just doing their day-to-day job.
“My ranger crew are still all out there … they’re getting on with their job, but they have a lot of concern for their colleague.”
She said the injured ranger was “doing as well as you could do”.
“He is a lovely, cheerful man and he’s bringing that beautiful energy even through this distressing experience.”
Ms Fishburn thanked members of the public who came to the aid of her staff.
“That means an enormous amount to the staff of this organisation that people went out of their way to help them,” she said.
“From the bottom of my heart I really want to thank them.
“It shows that something awful like this happens but it also shows how much good there is in the world and in this community.”
Anyone with information is urged to come forward.
In October, the Leader reported four council parking officers were assaulted in two separate incidents in the Liverpool CBD.