Covid 19 coronavirus: Man sentenced to 14 days in prison for spitting at police

A man has been sent to prison for 14 days after spitting at a police officer.

The incident happened during a routine traffic stop on Fenton St in Rotorua on Tuesday April 14.

Police say the 42-year-old man refused to comply with the officer's instructions and spat at him.

He was arrested at the scene and charged with assaulting a police officer.

"Police have a range of measures in place to protect staff, however given the frontline nature of police work, there is always risk," said police in a statement.

"Spitting at police will not be tolerated, especially due the increased risk associated with Covid-19.

In this case the saliva did not make contact with the officer and he was not required to self-isolate."

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website

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