Police officer injured in serious assault

A Tasmania Police officer who suffered a serious throat injury after he was assaulted while on-duty will be off work for at least two weeks.

Police Association of Tasmania assistant secretary. Picture Nikki Davis-Jones

A TASMANIA Police officer who suffered a serious throat injury after he was assaulted while on-duty will be off work for at least two weeks.

Police Association of Tasmania assistant secretary Andrew Bennett on Tuesday said the Southern District officer was left with a fractured trachea after a mental health-related call-out turned violent on Friday.

“This was a member with 24 years experience going about his duty, involved in a mental health situation which became a serious assault,” Mr Bennett said.

“Our members know that they have to put themselves on the line to keep Tasmanians and their families safe. But sometimes keeping the community safe isn’t as easy as you think.”

Deputy Commissioner Scott Tilyard confirmed investigations into the incident had begun. He said Tasmania Police was providing support to the officer involved and wished him a speedy recovery.

There were 113 “assault a police officer offences” and four serious assaults against a police officer recorded in the six months to December 31 last year, according to the Tasmania Police offence reporting system.

Deputy Commissioner Tilyard said any assault against an officer was unacceptable.

“Policing is a challenging role and officers should be able to perform their duties without the additional threat of being assaulted,” he said.

“Our officers often respond to incidents that involve personal risk and we need to give them the support and protection to do their job with confidence.”

Deputy Commissioner Scott Tilyard. Picture: SAM ROSEWARNE

Deputy Commissioner Tilyard said Tasmania Police was committed to protecting its police officers.

Tasmania Police welcomed an amendment to the Sentencing Act in 2014 which introduced a mandatory minimum sentence of six months imprisonment for a person convicted of an offence against an on-duty police officer that results in serious bodily harm.

BY THE NUMBERS Assault a police officer offences recorded: 2014-15: 191 2015-16: 253 2016-17: 237 2017-18: 273 2018-19 (to Dec 31): 113 Source: Tasmania Police

Mandatory sentencing legislation for serious assaults on off-duty police officers has previously failed to pass the Upper House.

A State Government spokesman on Tuesday night said they intended to reintroduce the legislation and hoped Labor would reverse its previous opposition to support the reform.

“The Government is committed to building upon its tough mandatory minimum sentences for serious assaults against police to cover other frontline staff,” he said.

Details about the incident came after shocking footage emerged of partygoers viciously bashing two uniformed Victoria Police officers as they tried to make an arrest in St Kilda on Sunday.

FIVE CHARGED OVER ALLEGED ST KILDA POLICE ATTACK

Both officers sustained serious injuries in the alleged attack, with one suffering a ruptured bicep and the other head lacerations and a possible broken cheekbone.