Page 7 - Federation magazine: December 2016 / January 2017

Case studies Scans revealed that the implant attacks on police officers are
had been dislodged by the force of something completely different. I
the blow to her chest and had turned didn’t see the attack on me coming at
Officer A. in on itself so she was booked in for all and will feel the effects, mentally,
Officer A, a woman officer with 22 surgery but had to wait a further six emotionally and physically for some
years’ service, was waiting for an weeks so that the bruising could time.”
ambulance while dealing with a subside. The consultant also advised PC Gareth Taylor
late-night incident in Birmingham that she have both implants replaced. Gareth Taylor has eight and a half
while colleagues were putting In all, it cost Officer A. £4,200 for years’ service with West Midlands
handcuffs on a man involved in a the operation but, of course, there Police and, probably in line with
separate disturbance. was a bigger cost too. She now feels many other front-line officers, accepts
Assuming that second situation that she is hyper-alert when dealing that the nature of the job leads to a
was under control, she dropped her with the public and finds herself degree of ‘rough and tumble’.
guard only for the man, who by this reaching for her CS spray more “As a response officer, I
time seemed to have been restrained regularly. appreciate that we are often dealing
on the ground, launched at her chest “I am very aware of people with people in extreme situations and
with both feet. coming into my personal space,” she that we may have to grapple with
Completely taken aback by the explains, “It means that I perhaps someone who is resisting arrest or
shock of the attack, she was winded, over-react to situations which can be step in to defuse a tense incident,”
felt she could not breathe and a problem as this in itself can cause says Gareth, who is based in
slumped to the floor as she passed something to escalate when it might Wolverhampton.
out while trying to undo her body not otherwise.” “But I don’t think as a police officer
armour which she felt was restricting There was also a cost to the Force you should be subjected to a
her breathing. and to other officers. The original deliberate assault, spitting or any
The next thing she knew, she was assault was in January this year and form of sustained attack and when
coming round, covered in her own Officer A. returned to work, initially that does occur I think the courts need
vomit and disorientated. on restricted duties due to the to be tough with those attackers.”
Taken to hospital by ambulance, operation, in July so that meant she Earlier this year, Gareth was
she told doctors that she had breast was away from operational duties for assaulted in the course of arresting a
implants as she felt, even with the six months at a time when the Force, man in the city centre. The man,
pain of the bruising and swelling, and officers, are stretched due to suspected of being involved in a
that something was not quite right. budget cuts and increased demand. stabbing incident, was stopped by
“I just felt very heavy and knew Her attacker has been dealt with officers and was resisting being
there was a problem. The doctors by the courts. He was ordered to do handcuffed.
said they could feel bubbling under 200 hours’ unpaid work in the Since it was raining, Gareth was
the skin but I had then had to wait a community, was given a two-year struggling to keep a hold of the man,
couple of weeks for scans which was suspended jail sentence and was also who by this time was wet. The
really worrying, as you just don’t ordered to pay £4,200 compensation suspect managed to free one hand to
know what’s going on and you to Officer A. – covering the cost of the reach out and grab Gareth’s leg. On
wonder if the implants are leaking operation. this occasion, Gareth was not
into your body,” she explained. Officer A. is satisfied with the seriously injured and suffered
The officer was also upset that she court’s decision. She does, however, bruising.
was forced to tell people about the have wider concerns about attacks In a previous incident, Gareth
implants. Even though she had them on officers. intervened to prevent a man shouting
12 years earlier, she had made the “We would be naïve if we didn’t and swearing in a hospital waiting
decision not to tell anyone, not even understand that while dealing with room. The man spat in his face
some of her family including her situations where violence is causing concern that the offender
young daughter, feeling that it was presented we could get caught up in could have been carrying a
“very much a personal matter. things,” she says, “But deliberate communicable disease, a growing
problem for officers.
I don’t think as a police officer you Another time, he went to a house
should be subjected to a deliberate in response to a report of domestic
assault, spitting or any form of violence and ended up grappling on
“ the floor with a man clearly unhappy
sustained attack and when that does that the police had been called.
“I do appreciate that there are
occur I think the courts need to be times when we might get a little push
or a shove or we may have to tussle
tough with those attackers. with someone but I think there is a
big difference between that and some
of the attacks that we are now seeing
on police officers who are just trying
to do their job,” says Gareth.

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