Police officer 'stabbed in the head' with knife during horror assault on call

30 December 2023 , 13:31

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A female police officer was stabbed in the head by a man with another officer also injured (Image: Liverpool Echo)

A police officer was rushed to hospital after apparently being stabbed in the head while on duty.

When two female officers arrived to a call in Harlow, Essex, at around 5.45pm on Friday, about a man making threats while brandishing a weapon. As they approached they were both attacked and injured - one with wounds that weren't life-threatening or life-changing, the other which did not need hospital treatment. A man was arrested on suspicion of GBH and taken to hospital for treatment.

The stabbing victim is being supported by colleagues as well as senior officers, and Essex Police said her welfare remains paramount. It said she would be supported in the coming days and weeks as her needs dictate. The other injured officer would also be given support by the force.

Chief Superintendent Stuart Hooper, Essex Police Gold Commander, said: "Sustaining a serious injury whilst on duty is never, ever, 'just part of the job' of a police officer. This officer attended an incident, as hundreds of officers across Essex do each and every day, and was presented with the threat of serious violence. Whilst the vast majority of people would do the opposite, she and her fellow officer approached the man to deal with that threat to ensure the safety of members of the public.

"Thankfully, the officer was quickly taken to hospital for treatment has since been discharged. This incident will no doubt have an acute impact on the officer, those close to her at home and those who work alongside her every day. It will also impact the thousands of officers across our force who step forward to do this job, who are on duty now as I speak or who will return to duty tomorrow and over the New Year’s weekend. Essex Police is a family force and we pull together at all times to help our colleagues and we will continue to do so in the coming days and weeks after this incident."

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Laura Heggie, the chair of Essex Police Federation, told YourHarlow: "This incident is yet another terrifying reminder of the dangers police officers face every day – and how quickly a situation changes. That uniform alone doesn’t make them invincible, they bleed and hurt the same as anyone else. We know over time the physical injuries will hopefully heal but it’s the trauma and impact on their mental health and the ‘what ifs’ that can stay with them forever, an incident like this can change a person both in and outside work. Police Officers do not come to work to be hurt. They should be going home at the end of their shifts. Not to hospital."

Paul Donald