She faces months of worry and medicated treatment after tending to a detained patient, who was HIV positive.
A female police officer tending to a detained patient, who was HIV positive, says she faces months of worry and medicated treatment after blood was sprayed directly into her face and eyes.
Hers was one of over 2,600 “shocking and disgusting attacks” on PSNI officers in the past year, which have been strongly condemned by Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton. He is calling for respect to be shown to officers whose aim is to keep communities safe from harm.
Between October 1 2024 to September 30 2025, there were 2,630 assaults on officers and in this calendar year there have been more than 100 reported incidents of police vehicles being rammed. This year alone, 21 vehicles have required repairs at an estimated cost of £140,000.
READ MORE: PSNI reveal number of assaults on officers and police vehicles rammed in past yearREAD MORE: Officers injured and man arrested after police car rammed
The local police officer from Armagh was sprayed with blood on her face, eyes and mouth by a suspect who had removed his cannula (tube put into vein) in August of this year.
This was a very concerning incident which has left an officer facing an anxious wait for results to see if she will have any long term health implications as a result.
She said: “We were in Craigavon Area Hospital attending to a detained person who began shouting and started to get irate. He has then ripped his cannula out of his hand with some force which caused it to fling round the room and spray myself and another constable with blood.
“This blood got into my eye and mouth. The male was restrained with blood still coming out of his hand.”
It was discovered that the male in question stated to another constable he had HIV and Hepatitis C – which can be shared by blood contact
“This has obviously caused me great concern as it got into my eyes and mouth, we had to be treated by the hospital immediately with an eye wash and blood samples taken.
“I went the next day to the Royal Victoria Hospital for a course of medication for the following 28 days. This medication was three tablets a day for the duration and made me feel very unwell so I was absent from work for a period of time from work.”
In another shocking incident, a Local Policing Team officer, also from Armagh was subjected to a sexual assault while on duty in January 2023 during the arrest of a man, he kept rubbing his face into the officer’s chest.
She said: “During the arrest the male became verbally abusive, threatening to cut my throat and saying he was trying to ‘abuse me’.
“He kissed my hand and placed his face into my chest and when I pushed him away, he leaned forward and placed his face on my chest again and nuzzled my chest with his face before I pushed him off again.
“He then kicked me in the knee quite hard which resulted in a bruise and an injury to my tibial plateau (bone below knee).”
The male was convicted of sexual assault in court and received a custodial sentence and was also subjected to a Sexual Offenders’ Prevention Order for seven years.
However, the officer still deals with the repercussions of this disgraceful incident, she added: “For weeks I really struggled in my home life, I had nightmares and struggled with sleeping. I was referred to a psychologist where I was tested for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and did receive therapy.”
Not just horrible and degrading, officers being spat on or having blood spat on them can result in serious health issues. The Police Service recently launched an initiative to support officers impacted by these sorts of attacks.
The Police Service’s Occupational Health and Wellbeing Department is proactive in providing health protection initiatives including specific immunisation programmes relating to blood and body fluids exposure.
Officers/ staff are contacted on the day of notification of a suspected exposure incident and their situation dealt with on the day of being contacted.
This is often referred to as Blood Borne Virus Exposure (BBVE) incidents, which is separate to the Hepatitis B vaccination course. All referrals of this nature are treated with priority where the department aims to contact members on the day of notification of such an incident.
The officer in Armagh added: “I have had to get bloods from Occupational Health and Wellbeing Department base line, a further one at six weeks and 12 weeks will also be required.
“This incident was very stressful as I am anxiously waiting on the results. It has left me feel very shaken and I do wonder if being subjected to this type of assault is worth all my efforts to keep our communities safe.”
The officers are assessed via a risk assessment tool with a member of the nursing team and the course of action required is defined by the outcome of the OHW Risk Assessment.
Meanwhile, a neighbourhood officer based in Newry, Mourne and Down suffered leg injuries after the police vehicle was rammed by a car back in 2023.
Two years on, the constable still deals with the injuries from that incident, he said: “As a result of the collision I tore a ligament in my knee, which has made it very sore and weak. The injury caused me on one occasion to fall down the stairs in my house due to my leg giving in as it was so weak.
“Recently, my wife had our baby and I am extremely hesitant to use the stairs when I have my daughter in my arms in case I fall again. It has been two years but I am still dealing with the pain and the consequences of that ramming incident.”
Deputy Chief Constable Singleton added: “This can be an extremely worrying and anxious time, not only for the police member but also their families and friends and we take this into account of every individual and their circumstances.
“We book them into a vaccination clinic where blood tests may be taken and sent to hospital, whether for storage [for future testing] or for analysis of whether there has been a definite contracted viral type exposure.
“If required, we will administer treatment and arrange follow-up appointments as dictated by the individual’s circumstances of BBVE incident.”
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.
#PSNI #officers #HIV #scare #blood #sprayed #face #eyes
