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| Two men arrested after alleged attack on off-duty police officers in Newtown | Two men arrested after alleged attack on off-duty police officers in Newtown |
| (33 minutes later) | |
| Constable, 25, battling ‘serious head injuries’ in Sydney hospital after alleged late-night assault on Enmore Road | Constable, 25, battling ‘serious head injuries’ in Sydney hospital after alleged late-night assault on Enmore Road |
| Two men have been arrested as police investigate an alleged attack that left two off-duty police officers in hospital in Sydney. | Two men have been arrested as police investigate an alleged attack that left two off-duty police officers in hospital in Sydney. |
| Police said the officers, both 25-year-old male constables, had been walking along Enmore Road in Newtown after attending a concert when they approached three unknown men in their 20s who were arguing. | Police said the officers, both 25-year-old male constables, had been walking along Enmore Road in Newtown after attending a concert when they approached three unknown men in their 20s who were arguing. |
| “The two off-duty officers were assaulted with one of them knocked to the ground and repeatedly punched and kicked to the head,” a police spokesperson said. | “The two off-duty officers were assaulted with one of them knocked to the ground and repeatedly punched and kicked to the head,” a police spokesperson said. |
| “The CCTV footage shows a group of men attacking an officer that is on the ground and another officer,” Supt Despa Fitzgerald told media. | |
| Police said they were called to the brawl at about 11pm and found a “25-year-old man unconscious on the roadway”. | |
| An off-duty nurse performed CPR on the off-duty officer until paramedics arrived and took him to Royal Prince Alfred hospital, where he remained in a serious but stable condition. | |
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| Fitzgerald said the man had sustained “serious head injuries” and the outcome may have been “something more serious” if bystanders had not rendered CPR. | |
| “The officer was unconscious for some time, without their assistance we may be talking about something more serious … anything could have happened,” she said. | “The officer was unconscious for some time, without their assistance we may be talking about something more serious … anything could have happened,” she said. |
| “I met with the family of the officer … at hospital this morning, they were obviously distressed to have to come to a hospital to give support to their son … thinking [he] was going out for a night out and this ended up occurring.” | “I met with the family of the officer … at hospital this morning, they were obviously distressed to have to come to a hospital to give support to their son … thinking [he] was going out for a night out and this ended up occurring.” |
| The second officer, also 25, suffered facial injuries and was also taken to hospital for treatment but had since been discharged. | |
| Fitzgerald said the alleged attack that rendered the officer unconscious was over in a “matter of minutes”. | Fitzgerald said the alleged attack that rendered the officer unconscious was over in a “matter of minutes”. |
| The three men reportedly ran from the scene before police arrived, with two allegedly fleeing on foot towards the Enmore Road precinct and one heading towards King Street. | The three men reportedly ran from the scene before police arrived, with two allegedly fleeing on foot towards the Enmore Road precinct and one heading towards King Street. |
| Following inquiries, police arrested two men – aged 18 and 20 – at a home in Mascot on Thursday afternoon. | Following inquiries, police arrested two men – aged 18 and 20 – at a home in Mascot on Thursday afternoon. |
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| Police said inquiries were continuing. | Police said inquiries were continuing. |
| The New South Wales police minister, Yasmin Catley, said the two off-duty officers were “out enjoying themselves in a vibrant part of the city” before the alleged “dangerous attack”. | |
| “We do not want this on our streets,” she told reporters on Thursday. | “We do not want this on our streets,” she told reporters on Thursday. |
| Catley urged anyone with information to come forward to police. | Catley urged anyone with information to come forward to police. |
| “It’s a very busy area where this offence occurred,” she said. “It’s very early in this investigation … [but police] know that there will be dashcam footage, CCTV footage, indeed people with their cameras videoing.” | |
| Catley thanked bystanders who rendered medical assistance until the ambulance arrived, describing their help as “life-saving events”. | |
| “We have such gratitude for you coming in and helping those officers who were injured, particularly that officer with those crucial injuries,” she said. | “We have such gratitude for you coming in and helping those officers who were injured, particularly that officer with those crucial injuries,” she said. |
| “These are really life-saving events that took place by them and we are so thankful.” | “These are really life-saving events that took place by them and we are so thankful.” |