Police officer allegedly attacked with sword, man charged with attempted murder, after domestic disturbance call

A man has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly attacking a female police officer wuith a sword while she was responding to reports of a domestic disturbance in South Australia. Police were called to a home on High St in Port Augusta, about three hours north of Adelaide, shortly before 11am on Saturday. Officers allege that when they arrived a man confronted them and struck a female officer in the left arm with a sword. Capsicum spray was deployed and the man was subdued while further police patrols were called to the property. The officer was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital before being airlifted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital “because of the nature of her injuries”. She has undergone surgery and is recovering in hospital. A 30-year-old Port August man was arrested and on Saturday night was charged with two counts of attempted murder and hinder police. He was also charged with assault and breach of an intervention order, relating to the domestic disturbance police were initially called to, where it is alleged he had assaulted a woman known to him. The man did not apply for bail and will appear in the Port Augusta Magistrates Court on Monday. Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said while any attack on a police officer was abhorrent, the violent nature of alleged incident shocked police. “Policing is an inherently dangerous occupation because of the nature of some incidents officers are called to,” he said. “But, an incident of this nature highlights the risk police face on a daily basis serving the community. “Thankfully the officer’s injuries are not life-threatening and measures are being taken to fully support her and her family.” Mr Stevens said all police officers and the community would be paying “particular interest as this matter progresses through the court system”. “Under the Criminal Law Consolidation Act the penalty for assaulting a prescribed emergency services worker is a maximum prison sentence of 15 years,” he said. “Every police officer will be watching to see what penalty is applied if there is a finding of guilt.’’