Off-duty police officer allegedly fly-kicked by teen in Perth along William Street

Caitlyn RintoulThe West Australian
Camera IconThe officer was off duty when he was attacked. Credit: Lincoln Baker/The West Australian

A teenager who allegedly fly-kicked an off-duty police officer during an out-of-control Saturday night in Perth’s CBD will front court on Sunday.

The police officer was left with a fractured eye socket and nose and was rushed to RPH.

The 16-year-old allegedly first confronted the 36-year-old victim at Perth Train Station when a quarrel broke out about 11.15pm.

Public Transport Authority officers helped the man.

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A short time later outside a William Street fast-food outlet, the teen approached the man again and allegedly kicked him to the head.

The alleged violent outburst caused the officer to be knocked unconscious.

Perth Detectives have charged the teen with intent to do grievous bodily harm, which he is expected to face in the Perth Children’s Court on Sunday.

It comes as WA Police Minister Paul Papalia announced the launch of the summer policing blitz Operation Heat Shield in Northbridge, which will deliver an additional 38,500 operational hours through an officer overtime scheme.

Off the back of success in the summers of 2019 and 2020, police patrols will be stepped up in WA from December to March as part of a $3.5 million special operation to target the State’s annual summer crime spike.

While seemingly scaled back from last year’s $5 million operation which provided an additional 55,000 police hours, Mr Papalia said increased officer recruitment throughout the year and a shortened campaign had equalised the commitment.

“The other two years it started earlier and went longer,” he said.

“We’ve got more police now than we’ve had before and we’ve got, we’re recruiting more.

“We’re throwing more into resourcing police than ever before. It’s just this funding is the same level of funding in terms of numbers on the street during that time.”

The high visibility proactive police patrols will be undertaken in party hotspots such as Northbridge, Scarborough and Hillarys, while coordinated operations will target burglary, theft and violent offences.

It comes after high profile assaults and incidents at party precincts in recent weeks, including two alleged violent assaults in Hillarys that left several men in hospital.

Last year teams of police were stationed along Scarborough’s beachside entertainment strip after The West Australian exposed the dark underbelly of night time violence at the idyllic tourist destination.

Shocking scenes of violence, including a reveller trying to fly-kick another man, featured on the front page of The Sunday Times had triggered a debate about safety in Scarborough.

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