Attacks on police officers condemned after ‘catalogue of violent incidents’

Assaults on police officers are “simply unacceptable”, a senior officer said after several were injured responding to incidents in recent days.

Deputy Chief Constable Alan Speirs branded the attacks “shameful and cowardly” and said the force places the highest priority on the safety and wellbeing of officers.

On Saturday, three officers were injured as they responded to disorder involving groups of men fighting as crowds left a bare-knuckle fighting event at the Ovo Hydro arena in Glasgow.

Two of the officers needed hospital treatment.

Two men, aged 32 and 27, will be reported to the Procurator Fiscal after they were arrested and charged with offences including alleged police assault, obstructing police and threatening and abusive behaviour, police said.

Three other men were arrested and issued with recorded police warnings for threatening and abusive behaviour and breach of the peace.

Police said “extensive” inquiries are continuing, including examining CCTV footage, and that further arrests are expected.

Anyone with information about the disturbance is urged to contact Police Scotland on 101.

In another incident on Saturday a police officer needed hospital treatment after being struck by a car which was stopped by officers in Midlothian at around 8.15am.

Police said the man driving was arrested and charged in connection with the incident.

In another recent incident two officers were treated by paramedics after they were allegedly assaulted as they dealt with a report of a disturbance on a bus in Edinburgh on Friday morning.

A 38-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with the incident.

Mr Speirs said: “This weekend we saw a catalogue of violent incidents across Scotland, with officers being injured, assaulted and requiring hospital treatment as they attended calls during their shifts.

“These acts against our officers are shameful and cowardly.

“Not one of those officers left their home and families to go to work and expected to become a victim of assault.

“Being assaulted is simply not part of being a police officer.

“Our latest performance figures show that every day on average 21 officers are assaulted on duty.

“We are seeing a difference due to the actions to reduce the impact of violence towards officers as part of our Your Safety Matters programme and the introduction of body-worn video.

“However, assaulting our officers is simply unacceptable.

“We place the highest priority on the safety and wellbeing of our officers and anyone who has been assaulted is encouraged to make use of the support which is available.”