Slashed officer 'your typical community cop'

The scene north of Taihape where senior constable Bruce Mellor was attacked when he pulled over two teens for a routine traffic stop. Photo / John Archer

The cop left to die by machete-welding teens was last night in emergency surgery to rebuild his face.

Senior constable Bruce Mellor was left with horrific slasher marks across his face, deep cuts around his head, almost-severed parts of his hand and deep wounds to his arms.

A 14-year-old and an 18-year-old have been charged with assaulting Mellor after he was attacked from behind during a routine traffic stop. The pair of teens have also been charged with stealing the car he pulled them over in. They will appear in Wanganui District Court tomorrow.

Mellor was patrolling alone north of Taihape when the attack - the seventh on a police officer this week - took place.

He was left for dead at the side of State Highway 1. A passing motorist saw the bloodied figure lying on the road and stopped to help, calling 111 for assistance.

The attack left two communities in shock - Mellor worked for more than two decades in West Auckland before moving to the central North Island plateau in 2004. Tributes flowed for a man who is known as "Mr Desert Road" and "your typical community cop".

Detective Inspector Chris Bensemann said Mellor had pulled the car over after reports of erratic driving. He approached the car and wrote down its details.

"It would have been a stop that he would have done 1000 times before."

Bensemann said officers believed the first blow fell when Mellor turned his back to radio the details through.

The blow knocked Mellor to the ground. It was delivered with such force that his skull was fractured, along with numerous bones across his face. The injuries include a fractured jaw and eye socket.

But Mellor also sustained numerous deep lacerations to his head and face - and his arms where he tried to fend off his attackers.

"What's particularly telling is the horrendous defence wounds across his forearms and one finger is almost severed," he said.

"They've basically gone about striking him multiple times and they've left him on the ground. He would have been petrified."

The stab-proof vest Mellor was wearing was no use against this type of attack. "It would appear to be more slashing than stabbing."

Bensemann said Mellor was found face-down on the road. "His uniform that he was wearing was absolutely bloodsoaked. There was a lot of blood."

The teens leapt into their stolen car to escape, crashing it a short distance along the road. They then ran to a nearby haybarn where they discarded their outer clothing and the machete.

Mellor was last night in Palmerston North Hospital where police minister Judith Collins was planning to visit him today.

She said last night she was planning to raise with commissioner Howard Broad the issue of officers patrolling alone.

She said: "There have been other instances with lone officers being attacked in rural environments. It really concerns me that if they don't get that radio message through, they might not be found for hours."

She said she was told by Central District commander Superintendent Russell Gibson that when Mellor was found he was "worried his car had been damaged".

"I told him that was not what I was worried about. I was worried about him - we can always get him another car."

Mellor's hobby was keeping his patrol car clean and polished.

Mellor was divorced with no children. Friends and neighbours described him as a family and community-spirited man.

Robyn Gregory, who lived near the site of the attack, said she had known Mellor for five years.

"He was all for the community. He's a caring and genuine guy.

"Whenever people break down, he's there making sure they get on okay. He's an absolutely lovely guy."

Stolen car owner Bianca Alani said sleeping through the theft meant she might have avoided a confrontation.

"It sounds like if one of us had tried to stop them we would have got into trouble," said Alani, 18.

Widow Sue Umbers said attacks of the sort suffered by Mellor instantly took her back to the murder of her husband, senior constable Peter Umbers who was beaten to death in a similar situation in 1990.

She said when she heard of Mellor's attack it made the death of her husband "feel like just yesterday".

Umbers was beaten to death with his own baton.

She felt for families of police officers who lived knowing they put themselves in grave danger and may not come home.

- Additional reporting Joanne Carroll and Leigh van der Stoep