A policewoman was left in tears after she was allegedly punched in the face by a supposedly naked man who was trying to hijack a bus full of passengers.
Police were called to a bus terminal on Franklin Street in Adelaide’s CBD about 5.45am on Saturday following reports that a drunk 28-year-old had boarded the bus and attempted to leave with it.
The man refused to get out of the driver’s seat when police arrived and became increasingly agitated.
When police attempted to remove him from the bus, two officers were allegedly punched repeatedly in the head.
A third officer was left with a busted lip after allegedly being kicked in the head, while the 28-year-old is also accused of attacking a police dog and its handler.
Officers had shot him with a Taser and used capsicum spray on him, but he continued to try to get away from the bus, which had 26 passengers on board.
A female officer who was allegedly punched in the head by the man was seen crying at the scene and clutching her jaw, which she thought was broken.
“I just don’t know if my jaw is broken,” she was heard telling colleagues through tears in footage obtained by Nine News.
A policewoman was left in tears after she was allegedly punched in the face by a supposedly naked man who was trying to hijack a bus full of passengers in Adelaide’s CBD.
“He (allegedly) punched me two very hard punches in the jaw.”
Meanwhile, one of her male colleagues who was allegedly cut in the eye was seen crouching and covering his face after the violent incident.
The 28-year-old man was eventually restrained by several officers and shouted “they’re trying to kill me” as he lay face down and handcuffed.
The man has since been charged with four counts of assault on a prescribed emergency worker and one count of unlawful use of a motor vehicle.
“Police used capsicum spray in an attempt to subdue the man, but he was unsuccessful and he continued attempting to drive the bus,” a South African police spokesperson said.
“Capsicum spray was used a second time on the man, he was successfully removed from the bus and arrested.”
The allegedly naked man was eventually restrained by several police officers after being Tasered and pepper-sprayed.
The man was taken to the hospital for medical attention.
No bus passengers were injured.
Pastor Peggy Renata said she feared there would have been deaths if it weren’t for the work of the police.
“We had a bus full of elderly people about to leave Adelaide and a (supposedly) mentally ill man on the bus who appeared to be completely naked,” he said.
“A very violent fight occurred on the bus… the police officers who entered the bus were (allegedly) violently attacked.”
Steven Egel, 67, said passengers thought the man was going to put the bus in drive and start driving away from the terminal.
‘(It was) pretty bad. I jumped up and tried to help. “I grabbed him and grabbed his arm to make him come back and stop him,” he said.
