Police officer attack brings back memories for bashed cop

A police officer who was beaten up after he pulled over a motorist for speeding says the assault of a police officer in Taihape has brought all the memories back to him and his family.
Constable Brett Kingston only returned to work this week after his jaw was broken in an attack on Labour Weekend.
Mr Kingston had pulled over a vehicle for allegedly speeding.
He breath tested the driver and it was after that he was hit in the jaw.
The Tokoroa-based constable for the Taupo Road Policing Team said while his injuries were not as bad  as Senior Constable Bruce Mellor, who was attacked after stopping a car just north of Taihape in the weekend, the news brought "everything back".
He said it was particularly hard for his family, including his 14-year-old daughter who had been wary about him returning to work.
Mr Kingston said there was nothing to make him think the routine stop would be anything out of the ordinary, until he was "blindsided".
The next thing he knew he was tumbling down a bank.
As he was on his knees he looked up to see a man start to approach him - and it was then Mr Kingston thought he might have been in trouble.
He believed the man saw him reaching for his portable radio and decided then to take off.
However his portable radio wasn't working so Mr Kingston had to scramble up the hill to his car and call for help.
"I could feel my jaw flapping around.
"I thought I'd just done a tooth."
Instead his jaw was broken so badly he needed three titanium plates inserted.
His wisdom tooth was split into three.
His injuries are still causing him trouble and he has only just started eating solids again after six weeks on a liquid diet.
Despite the incident, the constable of five years said he was determined to get back into policing.
It has, however, made him even more aware of the unpredictable nature of people.
Mr Kingston said one of the hardest parts had been seeing the affect the attack had on his family.
"It's just quite upsetting. [My wife] had no concerns before but now because she obviously had the dreaded phone call she thinks about it more.
"My oldest kid didn't want me to come back.
"The criminal element don't care we have a family to go home to."
A man has been charged with the assault, as well as driving-related charges.
He has yet to enter a plea on the charges.