Arrests after off-duty cop injured in ‘despicable’ attack

Source: AAP
Two men have been arrested after an off-duty officer was knocked unconscious and had to be revived after a “despicable” brawl in a busy Sydney nightspot.
NSW Police had been seeking three men accused of seriously assaulting the officer and another off-duty policeman during the late-night incident in Newtown, in inner-west.
They said on Thursday afternoon that two men, aged 18 and 20, had been arrested at Mascot.
The major investigation into the fracas, which happened about 11pm on Wednesday, continues.
Officers arrived to find a 25-year-old off-duty policeman unresponsive on busy Enmore Road, which is lined with restaurants and bars.
An off-duty nurse performed CPR until paramedics arrived.
The 25-year-old officer was taken to the nearby Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, where he was in a serious but stable condition on Thursday.
Superintendent Despa Fitzgerald said both of the officers were from the south-west Sydney command.
“The officer was unconscious for some time and without [CPR] assistance we may be talking about something else,” she said on Thursday.
The two off-duty officers were walking along the road when they were approached by a group of three unknown men, who were arguing with each other.
Both officers were then assaulted. One was knocked to the ground, and repeatedly punched and kicked in the head, police said.
The two policemen had not yet been interviewed after the assault and investigators were yet to determine if they had identified themselves as officers.
“The CCTV shows a group of men attacking an officer that is on the ground and another officer, and it is very violent,” Fitzgerald said.
“I have watched it, it’s very confronting and distressing.”
Police Minister Yasmin Catley said the incident was difficult to watch.
“This is a despicable act against two officers who were out enjoying themselves in this very vibrant part of our city and we now have an officer who is still in hospital,” she said.
The three men ran from the scene before police arrived.
Investigators are looking for two men of Maori or Pacific Islander appearance, and a third man of Caucasian appearance, all between 20 and 30 years old.
Enmore Road was designated as the first “special entertainment precinct” in NSW in late 2023, recognising the area’s popularity as a late-night music and hospitality hub.
The designation allows extended trading hours for certain venues and looser noise controls for businesses.
-with AAP