Twenty Northern Ireland Police Officers Injured in 24 Hours

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has reported that 20 of its officers sustained injuries while on duty within a 24-hour timeframe in Northern Ireland. These occurrences transpired from the evening of Friday, 13 December, through the morning of Saturday, 14 December. Several officers suffered significant injuries necessitating medical attention. This count follows a recent disclosure that 58 police officers had been injured in vehicle ramming incidents over the preceding year. Superintendent Rosie Thompson stated that two officers were injured in Concession Road, Crossmaglen, due to a deliberate ramming of their patrol vehicle by a VW Golf, which “attempted to put the patrol car off the road.” She added, “Shockingly, one of the injured officers has been involved in five prior police vehicle rammings.” Both officers were rendered unfit for duty, and the patrol vehicle is currently unroadworthy. Additionally, an officer in Newry is receiving treatment for a severe thumb injury sustained during an assault while attending a disturbance. The suspect also kicked this officer. In Mountnorris, south Armagh, another Newry-based officer suffered a suspected broken nose, and three of his colleagues were injured while responding to a domestic incident report. These officers were spat at and incurred limb injuries during an arrest attempt. Concurrently, four officers in the Craigavon area sustained minor injuries while addressing two distinct reports. In the Derrygonnelly area of Fermanagh, four officers were injured when a man became aggressive during his placement into a van. In Londonderry, three officers were assaulted after stopping a man suspected of involvement in an earlier assault. During his arrest, he kicked the officers, causing injuries to their chest, chin, and lower body. In north Belfast, officers responding to an assault report encountered a suspect who lunged at an officer, attempting to head-butt him, and also used offensive language. In west Belfast, an officer was struck on the chest while responding to a domestic-related report. The distribution of injuries by location includes: Londonderry (three), Belfast (two), Crossmaglen (two), Newry (one), Fermanagh (four), Mountnorris, south Armagh (four), and Craigavon (four). Superintendent Thompson stated: “We will investigate these shameful and unacceptable attacks rigorously. These are just some of the examples to highlight the risks our officers face every day.” She added that “Our officers are here to help, and respond to calls assisting people, keeping them safe.” She concluded that “Assaults on police are unacceptable, and must not be tolerated as simply being ‘part of the job’.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.