A TEENAGER will face court later this month charged with lighting a fire in Lake Macquarie bushland then hitting an arresting police officer in the face.
Police received multiple calls from about 7pm on Friday, November 1, alerting officers to several deliberately lit fires in bushland between Bernie Goodwin Oval and Gibson Field in the Morisset area.
Officers responded and allegedly found two teenagers - aged 18 and 16 - in a public toilet block.
The older man allegedly "struck a police officer in the face" as they were trying to arrest him.
The teenager was safely arrested afterwards and was taken to Toronto Police Station.
He was charged with causing or setting fire to the property of another, and resisting or hindering a police officer in the execution of their duty.
The young man was released by police on conditional bail and will front Toronto Local Court later in November.
