A Rotorua police officer is today nursing a head injury after a man he was pursuing in the early hours of this morning swung round and struck him with an iron bar.
The officer received a cut to the side of his head, which needed four stitches and is resting at home today, Senior Sergeant Karl Konlechner said.
He was the fourth Rotorua officer to have been attacked while on duty in the last month.
Constable Tony Bennett and one other officer were doing a routine check of the Westend area about 1.30 am when they saw a man acting suspiciously on Jervis Street.
When the officers stopped to ask the man what he was doing, he ran off with Mr Bennett chasing him, Mr Konlechner said.
A small distance down the road, the man stopped and struck Mr Bennett on the side of the head with a tool.
The tool had an iron bar about 40cm long and a counter weight on one end, usually used for repairing dent damage to car panels.
The officer managed to subdue the man until another officer reached him to help.
He suffered a cut to the right side of his head and was taken to hospital.
A 19-year-old man was arrested in relation to the incident and was charged with injuring with intent to injure and possession of an instrument for car conversion.
- DAILY POST (ROTORUA)
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