Two police officers violently assaulted during an arrest on the NSW Central Coast are likely to experience ongoing psychological trauma, a senior commissioner says.
The incident occurred about 10.25pm on Tuesday when the officers went to a home in Buff Point following reports of a domestic incident.
A 35-year-old male allegedly resisted arrest by spitting in the male officer’s face and then punching the female officer several times in the face and yanking hair from her scalp.
Video footage of the incident shows the female officer being grabbed around the neck and choked before the male officer was struck in the face and genitals.
A 35-year-old man was arrested and charged with 13 offences including assaulting an officer, resisting arrest, assault and choking.
He was refused bail to appear before Wyong Local Court on June 25.
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Max Mitchell on Thursday said the officers had received hospital treatment but would likely be traumatised by the incident for some time.
“The real issue here, as you would appreciate, is that ongoing psychological issue, the hyper-vigilance, this attack will cause those two officers,” he told Nine’s Today show.
“They are senior police, not constables that have been just tested out of the academy ... 10 years and greater than 10 years on the street.”
NSW Police Minister David Elliott said the alleged attack was “inexcusable”.
Mr Elliot last week referred to the issue of assaults against police officers to the NSW parliamentary committee law and safety.
The committee will assess whether current penalties and offences or such assaults are “sufficient in light of the disgusting assaults that have been reported recently”.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the state’s police force retained her full support.
