19-year-old Mayfield man calls police on himself, assaults officers

A teenager has been charged after allegedly stealing $5000 in a burglary, calling the police on himself, then stealing an officer’s pepper spray and attacking them.

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A TEENAGER has been charged after allegedly stealing $5000 in a burglary, calling the police on himself, then stealing an officer’s pepper spray and attacking them.

Yesterday Northern police responded to a call from a 19-year-old man claiming he had committed a burglary.

Police met the man at around 11pm, spoke to him and he fled the scene. A search of the property unearthed approximately $5000 – suspected proceeds from a burglary earlier in the evening.

About 1.40am police returned to the address to find the man hiding under a couch in the lounge room.

Two female police officers attempted to arrest him, but he began to resist violently.

One police officer deployed pepper spray on the teen and it will be alleged that he responded by forcibly taking the pepper spray from the constable, spraying her in the face, limiting her vision.

The teen then turned on the second constable, threatening her with the spray before grabbing in a headlock, restricting her breathing.

He also allegedly began pulling at her hair.

The teen was hit with a second canister of pepper spray, allowing police to subdue, handcuff and effectively restrain him.

The officers totalled multiple injuries during the fray, one was hit with the pepper spray and received a wrist injury, the second received bruising to the neck.

Both officers were treated in the Launceston General Hospital and were later released.

The 19-year-old man from Mayfield has been detained to appear in the Launceston Magistrates Court at this afternoon.

He was charged with burglary, stealing, two counts of aggravated and resist police.

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