Police praise civilian
POLICE have praised the efforts of a civilian who went to the aid of a detective allegedly being bashed following a road rage incident in Brunswick Heads this morning.
At about 9.30am the plain-clothed officer, attached to the Tweed Byron Local Area Command, approached two men in a vehicle on Fingal Street following a traffic incident.
According to police, the officer identified himself after the men began swearing at him and when he attempted to arrest one of the men a fight broke out.
Tweed Byron Local Area Command duty officer, Acting Inspector Brad Stewart, said the second man then got out of the car and became involved, putting the officer in a headlock and punching him repeatedly.
It is understood a member of the public then rushed to the officer's aid, using the police radio to call for help.
"Assistance was called for, other police arrived and the two men were arrested," A/Insp Stewart said.
"Two local men aged 38 and 64 were arrested and charged with assaulting police, resisting arrest and assault occasioning bodily harm and will appear in Byron Local Court later this month," A/Insp Stewart said.
The detective, who was in Brunswick Heads investigating an attempted child abduction, sustained facial bruising and lacerations and was taken to Mullumbimby Hospital where he received stitches before being released in a satisfactory condition.
"We appreciate any help from the public but this time it wasn't just information," an appreciative A/Insp Stewart said.
"What was serious enough could've been much worse ... with that assistance we were able to get other police there to prevent the situation escalating and to facilitate an arrest as well as get the officer medical assistance."
