Man capsicum sprayed and arrested at Franklin Street bus station after refusing to get off a bus and allegedly attacking police officers and their dog

Heroic police officers were rushed to hospital after an intoxicated man, who ended up losing all his clothes, started a physical altercation with authorities.

Two police officers were rushed to hospital after a violent man – who attempted to commandeer a chartered coach loaded with passengers – started a physical brawl with authorities on Saturday morning.

Emergency services were first called to Franklin St in the CBD around 5.45am after receiving reports of an intoxicated man displaying “concerning” behaviour.

In footage obtained by The Advertiser, a bystander is seen comforting and attempting to heal the two injured SAPOL officers, one of whom said she stopped the man from grabbing a gun.

“I didn’t let him get your gun mate, I held on ... I grabbed it (the gun), I grabbed it. I didn’t let him,” a female police officer can be heard saying.

Two SAPOL officers were taken to hospital after a physical brawl with a man outside the Adelaide Bus Depot. Picture: Supplied/7NEWS Adelaide

A bystander can be heard asking if there “could’ve been a fatality”, which the officer responds “yeah”.

The female officer is heard talking to another person on scene, concerned she may have suffered serious injuries.

“(The man) punched me twice in the jaw. Really hard ... I just don’t know if my jaw is broken.”

The bus driver, Tom Christie said the man stepped onto the bus and sat himself in the third row among the other twenty-six elderly passengers who were set to travel to the Flinders Ranges.

The bus driver said the intoxicated man insisted he was going to Geelong.

Mr Christie and others tried to convince the man to get off the bus before calling the police.

When police arrived on scene the man was in the driver’s seat and in an agitated state.

Patrols attempted to coax the unwanted man off the bus, however, when they failed the situation escalated into a physical brawl which resulted in injury to two officers.

Bus driver Tom Christie said it was the most brutal attack on police he’s seen in decades. Picture: Dasha Havrilenko

Mr Christie said it was a frightening scene to watch unfold.

“It’s probably the most brutal attack I’ve seen on police in about 20 years,” he said.

“He punched the female police officer in the jaw.”

“And from what I could see, he had the male police officer in a headlock sort of arrangement … he was trying to gouge the man’s eyes out.”

Police then unsuccessfully used capsicum spray in an attempt to subdue the man.

Additional back up arrived on scene but another officer was kicked to the head and he suffered a split lip.

PD Edge was called in to assist with removing the man from the bus but the dog was also allegedly assaulted and his handler was punched in the face.

During the altercation, the attacker lost all his clothes.

Police tasered the man and deployed capsicum spray for a second time after which the man was successfully removed from the bus and arrested.

The man, a 28-year-old from Adelaide, has been taken to hospital where he will be medically assessed before being charged. SA Police says he is likely to be charged with four counts of assaulting an emergency worker, attempt illegal use and resisting arrest.

Meanwhile, pastor Peggy Renata said she saw the incident unfold from the bus depot car park before coming up to the injured officers.

“The police officers were true heroes,” she said. “They put themselves on the line for others.

“They defended the people on the bus from someone who had ill-intentions.

“One of the officers told me that the man attempted to take the police officer’s gun … we had many people on that bus this morning, elderly people, that were at risk and there could have been a fatality.

“Fortunately, the officers were just fearless.”

Originally published as Man capsicum sprayed and arrested at Franklin Street bus station after refusing to get off a bus and allegedly attacking police officers and their dog