The ACT's top cop has urged Canberrans to respect police after a man allegedly attacked two of his officers following an indecent assault on a tram.
Chief police officer Neil Gaughan slammed the episode as "unacceptable" on Friday, when the 35-year-old alleged offender was sent to hospital for a mental health assessment.
In a statement, ACT Policing said officers were on patrol when, about 2.50pm on Thursday, they saw two men "scuffling" in Gungahlin Place.
After they separated the pair, one of the men allegedly punched an officer repeatedly in the face and head.
"Further police attended the scene and the man was arrested," the statement said.
"As he was being placed in the caged vehicle, he again lashed out, kicking an officer in the chest and neck."
The Palmerston resident was subsequently charged with two counts of assaulting a front-line community service provider, as well as single charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and resisting a public official.
He was also charged with committing an act of indecency without consent following an incident that had allegedly occurred earlier, while he was travelling on the light rail.
When the man faced the ACT Magistrates Court, via audio-visual link from a remote room on Friday, Legal Aid lawyer Sam Brown said he consented to undergoing a mental health assessment.
The 35-year-old will accordingly remain in custody, at Canberra Hospital, until he is deemed fit to return to court.
Defendant 'needlessly violent'
Prior to the man's court appearance, Deputy Commissioner Gaughan said all first responders should be able to do their jobs safely.
"Police in the ACT are there to keep the community safe," he said.
"They are members of the community who serve the community and should never be subject to the violence that occurred yesterday.
"The officers were attempting to de-escalate a minor scuffle between two people when one of the men became needlessly violent and aggressive.
"This type of behaviour is unacceptable, and I urge Canberrans to respect all first responders.
"Please consider your actions and allow my officers to return to their homes and families, safe and well, at the end of each shift."
Violence against cops increasing
The local police union also came out swinging, revealing the two officers involved in Thursday's incident had received treatment in hospital.
Australian Federal Police Association president Alex Caruana said police were attacked far too often, accusing the ACT government and the territory's judiciary of not doing enough to deter such incidents.
"These officers were just doing their job - no different to anyone else in the community - and have been viciously assaulted for their troubles," Mr Caruana said.
"All too often, the judiciary and the ACT government forget that police officers can be, and often are, victims.
"Police officers have the same human rights as private citizens, yet this is routinely overlooked.
"A few weeks ago, we had an officer mown down while trying to stop a car, and now we've had other officers hospitalised.
"Assaults against first responders are becoming more dangerous and more violent.
"We anticipate it will only worsen with the decriminalisation of ice, heroin and other illicit substances in the ACT.
"What will the Minister for Health and the Attorney-General do to ensure that support agencies and the health system are prepared for this?"
Mr Caruana said every time he looked at his phone and saw a call from an ACT Policing number, he worried there would be news one of his members had been killed or seriously injured.
"We've already had members seriously injured regularly over the last several years; will it take a police officer being killed before the Attorney-General and ACT government do something?" he asked, calling on whoever won next year's territory election to "significantly invest" in policing.
