Police Officer Headbutted And Nurse Assaulted In Hospital Attack

A police officer has been headbutted by a laughing attacker who said getting assaulted was "part of your job".

The man also spat in a young nurse's face during the incident at the Mater Hospital in north Belfast on Friday 25 January, according to the PSNI.

Officers confirmed that the attack occurred at around 7.30am this morning and that a man has been arrested.

Details of the shocking incident appeared in a Facebook post on the PSNI page for north Belfast.

"At around 7.30am this morning, a number of officers from Tennent Street went to the Mater hospital to provide assistance to someone who needed help.

"As my colleagues were entering the emergency department, a 26-year-old male was walking out, shouting threats towards the nursing staff as he left."

The officers approached the agitated male to ask him to calm down, before one was headbutted on the nose and laughed at, as well as being told that getting assaulted was "part of your job".

The male was then restrained due to his aggressive behaviour.

"Unfortunately for us and the nursing staff, he wasn't finished there. He then spat, hitting a young nurse directly in her face."

The PSNI condemned the man's behaviour: "Can you imagine going to work trying to help people, trying to make a living, doing your best to treat the sick - and someone thinks that it is acceptable to headbutt you or spit in your face and does all of this in a busy emergency department?

"I don't know about you but I think that this is absolutely disgusting and should not be tolerated by anyone."

The male is now in police custody, after he was arrested for assaulting two police officers and a young nurse.

"I sincerely hope that when this matter comes before the court that the person responsible is dealt with robustly.

"We, or the hard working staff at the Mater should not have to put up with this."



(JG/CM)