Three arrests in Vienna: police officers attacked and injured during operations
On a Sunday in Vienna, police officers were attacked three times – two female officers were injured so severely that they could not continue their duties.
Attacks on police officers in Vienna: three operations, three arrests
Three separate incidents of resistance against state authority kept Vienna police occupied on a single Sunday, according to Kronen Zeitung. In the districts of Favoriten, Wieden and Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus, official police actions spiralled out of control – several officers were attacked, with two police officers injured so severely that they had to abandon their duties.
First incident: woman kicks and strikes officers in Wieden
At approximately 8.10 a.m., police from the Schönbrunnerstraße station were called to a bar on Faulmanngasse in Wieden following a report of assault. There they encountered a 17-year-old with a lacerated wound. A 21-year-old Romanian national is suspected of being responsible for the injury.
The woman allegedly refused repeated requests to leave the bar and assist in clarifying the incident. According to police, she kicked at the officers and delivered a heel-palm strike to one policeman. The 21-year-old was subsequently arrested. A 49-year-old bar employee, who had previously attempted to calm the situation, is also said to have been slightly injured by her. The 17-year-old was transported to hospital by Vienna professional rescue services; the motive for the original dispute remains unclear.
Second incident: blows to the face in a hotel in Fünfhaus
Approximately five hours later, at around 13.45, officers from the Westbahnhof station were called to Diefenbachgasse in Fünfhaus. A man had refused to leave a hotel. During the official action, the 25-year-old Austrian citizen suddenly struck two female police officers in the face. Only with the support of the specialist unit WEGA was he brought into custody.
Both officers had to be treated at hospital and were subsequently unable to continue their duties. On the instructions of the Vienna state prosecutor's office, the 25-year-old was remanded in custody.
Third incident: drunk man strikes with elbow and fists
At approximately 22.20, reports of a dispute involving multiple people on an open street on Goldschlagstraße alerted police. On arrival, officers encountered a 28-year-old Romanian national who had blood on his hands. During the clarification of the facts, he became increasingly aggressive according to police.
As the officers restrained him against a wall, he broke free from their grip and struck at the police with his elbow and fists. The man was arrested. A breathalyser test carried out subsequently returned a reading of 1.7 per mille.
Source: Kronen Zeitung