Media Release

For Immediate Release

7 October 2013

Tamaki Drive stabbing highlights risks facing police

The stabbing of a police officer in Auckland today highlights the risks faced by every police officer even while carrying out routine, every day policing tasks, Police Association President Greg O’Connor said today.

“We are very lucky today not to be mourning another police officer slain in the line of very routine duties,” Mr O’Connor said.

“This incident highlights that it is impossible to predict in advance which jobs are going to escalate without warning.  This was an officer responding in the middle of the day to a call from the public about a very minor matter – a cyclist abusing people.  It very nearly cost him his life.”

Today’s incident follows other recent ‘near misses’, such as a fleeing driver threatening an officer with a handgun and car-jacking a police vehicle in Waikato last month, and an incident where a fleeing driver in Counties Manukau abandoned his vehicle, which was found to contain drugs and a loaded semi-automatic pistol.

“There are around 3000 calls for police assistance every day.  Any one of them has the potential to become a life-threatening situation.  We have already lost too many police officers slain while undertaking routine duties.

“The offender in this case was eventually located by other police and safely arrested using a Taser.  This incident again shows why all police officers must be trained and equipped to deal with the unexpected, in defence of themselves and the public, no matter when or where it happens,” Mr O’Connor said.

ENDS

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