Two men have been arrested after an off-duty police officer was tackled to the ground and repeatedly kicked in the head as he tried to calm down a group of men who were verbally arguing outside a Newtown takeaway.
Police have arrested two men – aged 18 and 20 – after they were arrested at a Mascot home about 3.20pm on Thursday.
The 25-year-old policeman and another off-duty officer were walking along Enmore Road after attending an Alec Benjamin concert at a nearby theatre when they came across a fight in the Oporto car park.
Witnesses said the officer, who works for the NSW Police Highway Patrol Unit, was trying to calm the situation when the group turned on the officers.
Harrowing footage of the aftermath of the brutal attack shows the officer lying on the road with blood pouring from his head, while a nurse and other bystanders attempted to perform CPR.
NSW Police Inspector Despina Fitzgerald described the attack as “violent, shocking and disturbing”, and promised that the three men who fled the scene would be apprehended.
The seriously injured officer, who was knocked unconscious during the assault, is in a serious but stable condition.
He is expected to remain in Royal Prince Alfred Hospital for a few days. His colleague suffered facial injuries and was released from hospital the same day.
Premier Chris Minns said he was shocked to learn of the unprovoked assault on the two officers.
“These two men saw the incident, went to the assistance of those involved and were brutally assaulted, and it is disgusting,” Minns said. “Every day our police force risks their lives to keep us safe – even when they are not in uniform.”
Australia Today understands that a bystander performing CPR heard a “very loud” noise before seeing a man in the middle of the road “completely motionless”. “What I can assume now is that the sound was his head hitting the road,” he said.
Police Minister Yasmin Catley thanked witnesses who came to the officers’ aid.
“We are very grateful to you for coming and helping… the police officers themselves are grateful,” Catley said.
As part of the investigation, investigators have collected CCTV footage that would have captured the attack from nearby businesses.
Police are still searching for a man described as being of Maori or Pacific Islander origin and aged between 20 and 30.
One of the men already in custody fits that description, while the other is described as a Caucasian man in the same age range.