On-the-job assault left injured officer away from work for months

The officer was attending a callout to a burglary when he noticed a man lurking in bushes nearby. Photo / APN

An officer assaulted on the job was off work for more than two months because of the injuries he received.

The officer was attending a callout to a burglary when he noticed a man lurking in bushes nearby. He approached the man and was king hit, falling to the ground. The man then punched the officer repeatedly in the head, causing him to black out.

"As a result of the assault, I received swelling and bruising to my face and head, a concussion, and a subconjunctival haemorrhage inferotemporally on the left eye [a bleed into the eye] caused vision issues, however, no long-term effects," said the officer, who did not want his name published.

"I was suffering from the issues surrounding a concussion resulting in migraine headaches and the inability to concentrate without getting a headache when driving or doing similar activities that required concentration. This meant I was deemed medically unfit to return to work by the doctor."

The officer was off work for 2 months, and when he finally returned he could undertake only light duties for a further two weeks. He also required further medical check-ups and eye examinations.

The assault was not the first time the officer had been injured in the line of duty.

"In December 2004 I was injured when an offender attempted to run me over when setting road spikes," he said.

"As a result I received injuries to both hands that required repeat bandage changes every two to three days for about two weeks. I was also off work for the two weeks. I have had previous assaults requiring medical treatment in the past, however, none of these resulted in any ongoing medical treatment or time off work other than the shift on which they occurred."