LevellerLive

With the knowledge that Coronavirus is dangerous and potentially fatal, it is now being used as a weapon. Three members of the public were arrested in Somerset after disturbing incidents across the weekend.

Police Officers, as all other emergency workers put their lives on the line dealing with the public during the virus pandemic. It is disappointing to see members of the public abusing them.

Coughing and  spitting at an officer (or anyone else for that matter) in the midst of the current pandemic is  being treated as assault and it is hard to argue against that.

• A 26-year-old woman has been charged with assault in connection with an incident in which an officer was coughed and spat at. It happened after officers were called to attend reports of a house party in Bridgwater, at just after 7pm last night. The woman is due to attend Taunton Magistrates’ Court next month.
• A 42-year-old woman has been charged with two counts of assaulting an officer following an incident in Peasedown St John, Bath, at just after 7.30pm last night. One of the charges relates to an officer being spat at. She’s due to appear at Bath Magistrates’ Court next month.
• A 36-year-old woman has been charged with two counts of assaulting an officer relating to an incident in which officers attended a domestic-related incident in Bridgwater at just before 8pm last night. The charges relate to physical assaults on two officers. The woman is due to appear at Taunton Magistrates’ Court next month.

Chief Superintendent Carolyn Belafonte states clearly that any assault on officers of this nature are particularly abhorrent in light of the public health crisis the country is facing.
“Officers are simply trying to do their job to protect the public and keep our communities safe in these worrying times. They do not deserve to be assaulted in any way, particularly being spat on and coughed at. Anyone who does this can expect to be arrested and as we have already seen elsewhere they could face a prison sentence as a result.
Whenever these incidents happen we put our Seven Point Promise into place to ensure the officers are getting all the support they need and we’re continuing to keep our officers updated on the latest advice from the Government and Public Health England.”