A newly graduated police officer stabbed twice in the neck during a domestic disturbance in Brisbane’s east chased an alleged attacker and deployed his Taser despite suffering heavy blood loss.
Two officers attended the incident at Hemmant, near dawn on Sunday, after reports of a disturbance between a father and son. Police allege a 35-year-old man attacked the constable and assaulted his partner, a senior constable, before fleeing.
The injured officer, who is in his 40s and graduated from the police academy in July, pursued the man while holding his neck to stem the bleeding. Queensland Police Union president Shane Prior described him as “an absolute hero”.
“Whilst holding onto his neck to stop the bleeding, he managed to chase after the offender, deploy a Taser but only had to stop because he was getting weary from the blood loss,” Mr Prior told reporters in Brisbane.
The constable received first aid before being taken to hospital in a stable condition, where he was expected to undergo surgery for significant injuries. Mr Prior said the senior constable had also been “slashed across the forehead” with a knife.
Police arrested the 35-year-old outside a business at about 7am and charged him with two counts of attempted murder. He is due to appear in court on Monday.
Acting Superintendent Heath McQueen praised the officers’ “commitment and courage” and the “split second decisions” they made during what he described as a fluid situation.
“This incident highlights the inherent risk that our officers face on a daily basis in serving the community,” he said.
