Please attribute to Bay of Plenty District Commander, Superintendent Andy McGregor:
A Police officer is currently in Waikato Hospital with serious head injuries after being assaulted while on duty in Owhata, Rotorua last night.
At approximately midnight he and another officer responded to an emergency call from a residential property in Owhata.
The Constable was in the process of arresting a male for an alleged assault of a female, when a second offender jumped a fence and struck him on the side of the head with an unknown object. He was knocked unconscious and the offender took off on foot.
The officer was taken to Rotorua Hospital, then transferred to Waikato where he is currently sedated and in a stable condition.
Police work tirelessly to keep our communities safe and acts of violence like this against our officers are unacceptable.
Police takes the safety of its staff seriously and will continue to investigate this attack to hold those responsible to account.
We are continuing to offer support to the officer and his family at this time.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre