Man kicks officer in head, knocks-out another

A 23-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly karate-kicking one Hamilton police officer in the face and knocking another into semi-consciousness.

The violence erupted when police went to arrest a man at a house in the Hamilton West suburb of Nawton this morning.

The officers found a man slipping out a back window of the house and arrested him without incident, Inspector Rob Lindsay said.

However, as they were preparing to leave, the officers heard a commotion from inside the house.

Entering to investigate, one of the officers was allegedly ambushed and kicked in the face by the arrested man.

Officers subdued the man after a violent struggle, then found a colleague in the bathroom of the house, dazed and semi-conscious, Mr Lindsay said.

The semi-conscious officer was taken to Waikato Hospital for observation.

The other officer was examined and returned to work a short time later.

A 23-year-old man arrested in relation to the attacks was being interviewed by police.

- NZPA