Bodycam footage has captured the moment a police community support officer was stabbed with a pair of scissors while detaining a suspect.
PCSO Sam Bushen was on patrol in Monkton Heathfield near Taunton on August 5 when he encountered Sam Reynolds, a man wanted in connection with burglaries and shop thefts.
PCSO Bushen, who has been with Avon and Somerset Constabulary for five-and-a-half years, pulled over in his vehicle and approached the suspect.
After Reynolds threw a punch towards him, the PCSO restrained the suspect and sat him down on the pavement, Somerset Live reports .
Describing the initial restraint, PCSO Bushen said: "I was just on my normal high visibility patrol.
"I wasn't technically called to the scene, as I had just found Sam Reynolds whilst he was walking along.
"I quickly stopped the vehicle and approached Reynolds and asked him to stop, whereby he tried to swing a punch towards me.
"I caught his arm and restrained him to the floor to defend myself and that is when my body-worn video camera was activated.
"From that point Reynolds apologised and asked if he could have a cigarette."
As the bodycam footage above shows, Reynolds then reaches into his bag for a cigarette lighter but instead grabs a pair of scissors.
Reynolds attempts to threaten PCSO Bushen with the sharp object before stabbing him in the arm.
"I suffered a deep puncture wound to my right forearm, small cut to inside of my bicep and on my right middle finger", PCSO Bushen explained.
"I remember being in a bit of daze, like has this actually happened? How and why did this happen to me?"
"Physically the wound was minor and just needed cleaning and to be dressed.
"But mentally, I was exhausted.
"Something I have never had to deal with in my head is someone trying to stab me and actually stabbing me. So that had an effect."
While bleeding, PCSO Bushen was able to restrain Reynolds until other police officers arrived on the scene.
'We have people in our lives just like you do'
Reynolds was charged with three counts of burglary, actual bodily harm, possession of a sharply pointed article, eight counts of theft-related offences, and breach of an existing court order.
He pleaded guilty to all charges and also admitted a number of other offences which were considered during sentencing.
PCSO Bushen described the attack as an "one-off, isolated incident" and reassured people "that they should not be concerned about where they live".
PCSO Bushen added: "We are human beings trying to help solve people's problems.
"We have families, children and people in our lives just like you do and we want to go home safe to them each and every day."
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