Police release attack footage to highlight violence against officers

Police have released footage of a thug ripping out a clump of an officer's hair to raise awareness about the violence they often face.

In the clip captured on her body-worn camera, Pc Emma Agyei can be heard screaming in pain as she is pinned to the floor by her attacker and he tears at her hair.

Pc Agyei and a colleague had been called to a domestic disturbance in Bradley, Wolverhampton, in May last year when she was assaulted.

Both officers were placing the 50-year-old suspect in the police van when his son came out and began verbally abusing them before knocking Pc Agyei to the floor.

Forced to spray him with pepper spray

He smashed her head against the pavement several times before wrenching her hair out and holding her by the throat. Her colleagues were forced to spray him with pepper spray before he would release her.

She said: "I was there for literally seconds but it felt like a long time until one of my colleagues was able to pull him off me."

She added: "I think I was in complete shock because at the time he was pushing me and attacking me I was thinking 'I can't believe this is happening, what do I do now?'"

Pc Agyei's attacker pleaded guilty to assault and was handed a 12-week suspended sentence.

The incident was one of 669 assaults on West Midlands officers between April and December 2017, resulting in 356 days lost and costing £65,000 in sick pay.