Man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder of police officers following stabbing
Two police officers have been injured after a knife attack in south Belfast.
It happened on the Ormeau Road at about 1:30am on Wednesday morning.
One officer was cut on the face while the other was stabbed in the neck. He has been taken to hospital for treatment.
Police say a 22-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
This latest attack comes after PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne confirmed that 43 officers had been injured in 30 separate incidents during the course of seven days last week.
ACC Bobby Singleton said: "Two of our officers attended an address in the Ormeau Road area providing assistance to a vulnerable member of the public.
"This man then launched an unprovoked knife attack on both officers," he added.
“It’s sobering to think just how lucky we are not to have lost these officers. We’re supporting them, their families and colleagues ensuring they receive the appropriate care and welfare support.“This incident serves as a timely reminder of the very real threat of serious violence our police officers face each and every day.“All this is happening while they are seeking to protect the public and working incredibly hard to keep our communities safe.“Officers regularly step forward into the unknown placing the public’s safety ahead of their own. That’s not something that any of us should take for granted.
“Assaults on our officers are never acceptable, and should be condemned.”
In a statement, the Chair of the Policing Board Deirdre Toner described the stabbing as "shocking".
"These attacks are completely unacceptable, are condemned by the Board, and must be condemned right across the community.
"The Board will be discussing this further with the Chief Constable at the Board meeting tomorrow.”
Last month, the Policing Board produced a report suggesting it could be time for the PSNI to consider how officers are armed in the long term. Unlike most police in the UK and the Republic, PSNI officers carry handguns and can, if they wish, carry them while off duty.
In response to Wednesday's attack, the Chair of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, Liam Kelly, said the officers were "fortunate to be alive".
“In this case, the officers could have used their firearms to protect themselves, but they didn’t. They sustained injuries with one colleague requiring urgent hospital treatment for his neck wound. A millimetre either side of the wound could have had a very different outcome," he added.
“The availability of Taser would have provided these frontline officers with an effective tactical option against their attacker and potentially avoided the inflicting of the injuries on them. We say again that Tasers are effective, protective devices and should be issued as standard to our officers. They are infinitely preferable to a firearm and anyone who thinks otherwise should look at this incident and ask the obvious question."
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