The start of 2020 has seen a ‘shocking’ number of attacks on North Yorkshire Police – including a York man who assaulted three officers just a minute into the New Year.
It was one of three violent incidents early on New Year’s Day in York where police were attacked and abused.
Assault number one
The force’s first arrest of the year came at one minute past midnight on Rougier Street in York, where 31-year-old man had become violent at local hotel.
The man resisted arrest and in the process, assaulted three police officers. He was taken into custody and charged with three counts of assaulting an emergency worker.
Assault number two
Minutes later, three officers attended an incident in Acomb, where a man was reported to be acting in a violent manner. Officers found the man sat in a car, inside the garage of a property.
When officers attempted to speak to him, he became aggressive, driving the car close to the officers and causing substantial damage to the garage.
The officers managed to open the car door and arrest the driver, resulting in minor physical injuries to one officer.
A 40-year-old man was subsequently charged with assault and affray. He will appear at York Magistrates Court on 16 January 2020.
Assault number three
At 1.30am the same morning, officers in York stopped and spoke to a man on Blake Street about an unconnected incident.
However, he racially abused one of the officers, resulting in him being arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence.
The man, who is 23 and from York, has been released under investigation, and will be referred to the CPS for a charging decision.
More violence followed
These include three officers who received whiplash injuries in York when a suspected drink driver, who they were trying to contain, rammed the police van they were travelling in.
A 33-year-old man was charged and was due to appear at magistrates court today (Monday 6 January).
Assistant Chief Constable Mike Walker said:
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Many of my colleagues have spent their Christmas and New Year period on duty, working hard to keep our communities safe – including some of the most vulnerable in society.
That’s why it is so disappointing to see that an unacceptable number of them have been subjected to abuse, assaults and threats while carrying out their duties.
Although police regularly place themselves in harm’s way to protect others, it is never right to assume that they themselves should expect to be attacked or injured as ‘part of the job’. Such assaults are entirely and completely unacceptable.