Page 8 - Federation magazine: February / March 2017

Officers give MPs
first-hand accounts
after spitting incident

Two West Midlands Police officers who still resisting. consequences.
were assaulted by a man who spat Alan explains: “After a struggle we “Mike had a false reading of Hep B and,
blood in their mouths and faces were managed to get handcuffs applied and at as such, had to have his family screened

among a delegation to meet MPs as part of which point I felt something warm and which meant his wife and children had to

the ongoing national ‘Protect The Protectors’ damp on my hand which turned out to be a have blood tests involving injections on his

campaign. large amount of blood. I used my torch and 12-month-old child.”

Coventry based PCs Alan O’Shea and could see this man bleeding from his mouth During the initial investigation the

Mike Bruce shared their first-hand at which point he looked at me and spat offender was asked if he would take a blood

experiences when they joined members of directly into my face and into my eyes.” test that would negate the cause for the

the Police Federation’s Parliamentary An ambulance arrived for an unrelated officers to have to continue the treatment.

Working Group giving an input to MPs on call and Mike and Alan were sent to A & E as He chose not to co-operate.

spit guards and police assaults. spit in the eyes is considered as a needle Rob Marris, Labour MP for

The event was sponsored by Holly Lynch, sticking injury. Wolverhampton South West, is among a

Labour MP for Halifax, who has taken on the The two officers were given injections number of MPs who want to see a change in

campaign and raised the issue in Parliament. and placed on a course of post exposure the law that would allow compulsory

“This event provided a great opportunity procedure to counter potential effects of testing of those attacking police officers and

for MPs to talk to officers who have been HIV, hepatitis and so on. The treatment emergency personnel in this way.

assaulted while on duty,” says Tom continued for a month with sickness side The offender, who has a history of

Cuddeford, the interim chairman of West effects. assault and disorder, received a suspended

Midlands Police Federation who also “However, the personal impact was prison sentence of a total of 12 weeks and

attended the meeting at Portcullis House at costly,” says Alan, “I was unable to see my was ordered to pay compensation of a total

the Houses of Parliament. family for several months due to a potential of £750 to the two officers.

“While MPs should by now have seen risk of infection to an immediate member of The Police Federation has made a film

that the number of assaults on police my family who was undergoing an intense featuring Alan and Mike which will be

officers and other emergency service course of treatment that left him vulnerable shown as part of its campaign on officer

personnel are on the rise, I think it is useful to infection which could have fatal assaults.

for them to realise that behind these figures

“there are real people who have been After a struggle we managed to get
handcuffs applied and at which point I
assaulted just for doing their job and serving felt something warm and damp on my
their communities.
“I hope that more MPs now get behind
the Police Federation campaign which aims
to ensure that those found guilty of
assaulting the police receive the harshest
sentences possible. An attack on a police
officer is an attack on society and we must hand which turned out to be a large
not lose sight of that.”

Alan and Mike were assaulted when they amount of blood. I used my torch and
responded to a call for assistance from

officers attending a fight at a Coventry pub could see this man bleeding from his
following St George’s Day celebrations. “

Mike had already been spat at by a man mouth at which point he looked at me
violently resisting officers when Alan helped

other colleagues attempting to restrain and spat directly into my face and into
another man. Once the second man had

been dealt with, Alan returned to help the my eyes.
officers dealing with the first man who was

08 federation February/March 2017 www.westmidspolfed.com