Moment lone police officer was set upon by gang of thugs who bundled him to the ground and kicked him repeatedly before hero bystanders come to his rescue
- The officer was on patrol in Bexleyheath when he was called to a disturbance
- He was set upon by the group who attacked him in the middle of the street
- The incident was caught on video by horrified passengers on a nearby bus
- The Valentine’s Day incident left the officer with head and facial injuries
- Five men have been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and assaulting an emergency worker
This is the moment a lone police officer was set upon by a group of violent thugs who bundled him to the ground before raining down kicks on him.
Horrified passengers on a bus watched on as the solo officer was targeted after he was called to a disturbance.
In the footage the officer can be seen trying to reason with two of the thugs but things escalate when he draws his baton and they raise they hands at him.
A third man then storms in and is whacked by the cop before he’s pushed to the floor as another yob gets involved.
The officer can be heard shouting for help as the group continues battering him and tries to take his baton from him.
One of the thugs, who is wearing a black jacket and black jeans, even takes a pot shot at his head while he’s lying on the ground injured.
Moments later heroic staff members from a nearby restaurant come to the aid of the officer as they try to stop the clash.
In the video the police officer, who was on patrol in Bexleyheath, can be seen trying to calm down two people
Things escalate when the men approach him with their arms raised and the officer draws his baton
A melee then ensues with a group of men attacking the officer in the middle of the street while he can be heard shouting for help
One of the men even appears to take a pot shot at the officer while he is lying on the ground injured
The two staff members wearing a chef’s uniform start trading blows with the yobs, pulling them to the ground and piling on top each other as the injured officer looks at his battered hands.
Minutes later backup arrives as the police siren can be heard in the distance.
The fight is broken up and a group of people can be seen around a man who appears to be lying on the floor unconscious following the melee.
The shocking attack occurred in Bexleyheath, south east London on Valentine’s Day evening.
A Met Police spokesperson said: ‘At around 11:38pm on Monday, February 14, an officer on patrol on Bexleyheath Broadway became aware of a disturbance at a bus stop nearby.
‘He tried to intervene and speak to those involved.
‘As he did so he was attacked by five men who pushed him to the ground and assaulted him, leaving him with head and facial injuries.
‘Two members of the public who came to help him were also injured by the group.
‘Four men were arrested by officers who arrived at the scene, another was arrested later the same day.
‘All were arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and assault on an emergency worker.
‘They were bailed to return on a date in mid-March.’
Chief Inspector Tom Smith from East Area Basic Command Unit (BCU), which covers the area, said: ‘This was a shocking attack on an officer who was simply doing his job, responding to an incident he saw nearby.
‘Police officers routinely put themselves in harm’s way, dealing with dangerous situations and violent people.
‘Tackling violent crime is the Met’s top priority, and that includes dealing robustly with those who assault our officers and other emergency workers.’
It comes after figures revealed that 80 attacks were recorded on police officers every day in 2021, an increase of 21 per cent on the year before.
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