A Tauranga policeman who was attacked after he pulled over a car on Saturday night has become the fifth police officer to be bashed on the job in three weeks.
A 29-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman, both from Greerton, were arrested after the officer was allegedly attacked about 10.30pm near the intersection of James Cook Drive and Victory St, the Bay of Plenty Times reported.
Sergeant Steve Hindmarsh said the pair were arrested after the officer, who was left was minor injuries, radioed for assistance.
The man was charged with assault, resisting arrest and possession of an offensive weapon.
The woman, who was the driver of the car, was charged with assaulting a police officer with a "blunt weapon", obstruction, resisting arrest and driving while forbidden.
They will appear in Tauranga District Court on Wednesday.
The latest attack comes after two men were arrested for attacking a police officer in Mahia, south of Gisborne, on Boxing Day.
The men, 24 and 26, allegedly set upon an officer after he stopped them as suspects in a series of burglaries.
They have been charged with threatening to kill and a number of other charges, and have been remanded in custody until January 10.
The officer had been in the force for just two years.
Also on Boxing Day, a Hamilton policeman was attacked by two teenagers armed with a machete and a knife when he went to a house at Pukete, north of Hamilton, after reports of people fighting with weapons.
Two boys, aged 14 and 16, appeared in Hamilton Youth Court yesterday accused of attempted murder and were remanded to a "secure house'' in Rotorua until their next appearance at the end of the month.
In a third Boxing Day attack, a police officer was set on by two teenage boys as he tried to arrest another teenager during a fight at Matauri Bay, 120km north east of Whangarei.
One teen has been charged with wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm, and the other with assault with intent to injure and aggravated assault.
On December 11, Senior Constable Bruce Mellor, of Waiouru, was attacked from behind with a machete and left for dead on the side of the road after he pulled over a stolen car. Two people are in custody facing attempted murder charges.
As a result of that attack, Police Minister Judith Collins spoke with Police Commissioner Howard Broad about officers working in pairs in an attempt to curb violence against the police.
However, Ms Collins told Radio New Zealand last week that Mr Broad said it would not be possible in small one or two man stations.
A Bill had now been tabled in Parliament "to make sure that all attacks on police officers and Corrections officers as they are going about their duty are treated as aggravated factors in sentencing", she said.
She was also considering a report by Mr Broad about better access by police to firearms.
