Yahoo Lifestyle Police officer allegedly stabbed in the head in Sydney CBD
An on-duty police officer was allegedly approached by a man carrying a 30cm kitchen knife before he was stabbed.
A knife-wielding man has been arrested after an on-duty police officer was allegedly stabbed in the back of the head multiple times in broad daylight in Sydney's CBD on Sunday afternoon.
Police said a 33-year-old man approached two officers performing traffic duties and said nothing before allegedly stabbing a male constable “two to three times” in the back of the head with a 30cm kitchen-style knife.
Officers pursued the man into Hyde Park where he was tasered and restrained. Detective Superintendent Martin Fileman said in a police press conference on Sunday afternoon that the man allegedly demanded that officers shoot him after he was restrained.
"Whilst he was in the park he still had the knife in his hand and he was demanding the police shoot him," he said. He added that there was no indication of what the motive of the alleged attack may have been.
The alleged perpetrator, who was known to police, was arrested following the incident and taken to Prince Alfred Hospital for assessment and is under police guard. Upon his release from hospital, it's understood the man faces "very serious charges". Police say the man has no serious criminal history or mental illness.
The male officer is now recovering in hospital after sustaining "non-life threatening head injuries" during the incident which unfolded on Elizabeth Street, near the intersection of Bathurst Street, on Sunday. Paramedics treated the officer at the scene before he was taken to St Vincent's Hospital.
Police operation underway in Sydney CBD
A police operation is now underway but NSW Police assured the public that there is no ongoing threat. "This was very much an isolated incident and there's no further threat to the public," Detective Superintendent Martin Fileman told the media.
Officers are now appealing for witnesses to come forward while they scour the city's extensive CCTV network which may have captured the incident unfold.
The incident comes after several high-profile incidents in recent weeks, including an attack at Sydney's Bondi Junction shopping centre where six people were killed, and another attack on a bishop who was stabbed while delivering a sermon at a Western Sydney church.
NSW Parliament is considering increased wanding powers for police, which would allow officers to use handheld metal detectors to scan people for knives during designated periods.
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