Police have a tough job to do, at the sharp end of justice. They often come across situations or incidents that most people would balk at.
But in the line of duty many officers go above and beyond. They know their jobs could leave them in dangerous situations, but no officer going into work expects to be attacked, spat at or abused.
Government figures in the year ending March 2022, there were just over 40,000 assaults on police officers in England and Wales.
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The number of assaults on officers without injury, the category in which spitting is included, has risen from just over 20,000, to nearly 30,000, since the pandemic. These Greater Manchester cases all involved offenders who spat at, threatened, or assaulted officers - faces of a disturbing trend.
Victim of 'vile' spitting would 'rather have been punched': Shanae White
Shanae White spat in the face of an officer, at the height of the second national coronavirus lockdown. White, 20, had been arrested after she robbed a woman in Bury town centre.
She was taken to Bury police station and, while she was being processed, she took off her face mask and spat in the officer's face. Sgt Black felt the spit on his face, forehead, cheek, lips and chin.
Unable to wipe it away because he was restraining White, he felt it run into his eyes and mouth. ''The incident left me feeling sick," Sgt Black, who is based at Bury police station, said.
"It happened during the pandemic and I was worried about catching the Covid virus and passing it onto my family. I'd rather be punched than have someone spit in my face.''
White pleaded guilty to robbery and assaulting an emergency worker. In April last year, was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, given a curfew, ordered to complete a 'Thinking Skills' programme, attend a course at a 'Problem-Solving Court', and undergo 20 Rehabilitation Requirement Days.
Judge Bernadette Baxter told her: "The robbery was nasty bullying violence when you threatened to stab someone - and to do what you did to that police officer was absolutely disgusting and vile. It was a deliberate act on your part at the time of the pandemic - people don't go to work to be assaulted and abused in that way."
'Erratic and aggressive' Nathan Hughes went for cuffs, taser and spray
Hughes dislocated one officer's shoulder, spat at another and then tried to steal their taser during a violent rampage. Police had been called just before midnight on December 14, 2021, to arrest 23-year-old Hughes in connection with alleged criminal damage at Victoria Station.
But Hughes quickly became 'erratic and aggressive'. As an British Transport Police officer attempted to handcuff Hughes, he resisted arrest and punched him in the face before taking his handcuffs.
Another officer then stepped in and used her captor spray to subdue Hughes. Once handcuffed he attempted to take the officer’s spray and taser in an attempt to use them against the officers.
The officers called an ambulance when Hughes told them he had swallowed three bags of heroin. Officers then made the decision to take Hughes to hospital in a patrol car as he continued to be aggressive.
Hughes then assaulted another officer, kicking him and dislocating his shoulder. Once at hospital, Hughes became erratic and aggressive again where he spat at officers and tried to bite them.
Appearing at Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court, Hughes pleaded guilty to four counts of assaulting an emergency worker and resisting arrest. In January, Hughes, of Avondale Court, Rochdale, was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison after pleading guilty to assault and resisting arrest.
After the hearing, Chief Inspector Lorna McEwan said: “This was a despicable act of violence against officers who were simply doing their duty. Police officers, like everyone else, do not come to work to be assaulted and abused, they are there to protect the public."
Scratching, biting, spitting: Andrew Vance
Vance scratched one officer, bit another and spat at a third after a parking row turned violent.
Vance, 54, had confronted his long-term neighbour as he sat in his car before walking up to him and shutting the door on his arm. After the man told him he didn’t want to discuss the parking situation any further, Vance punched him three times in the face.
When the police arrived 15 minutes later, Vance initially seemed calm and cooperative. He became aggressive when officers were putting him in a police van. At one stage, he bit an officer on the calf and began 'scratching' at them.
After being taken to Cheadle police station, he called officers a 'bunch of fat c***' and spat at another one of the them. Vance has pleaded guilty to assault by beating of his neighbour, and five offences of assaulting an emergency worker.
The judge, Recorder Daniel Lister, told Vance: "Your behaviour, frankly, was utterly appalling. They were carrying out their duties as part of their employment. I’m sure you appreciate in the cold light of day that behaviour was entirely unacceptable."
Vance, of St Helier Square, Burnage, was handed four months imprisonment which was suspended for 12 months, along with 120 hours unpaid work and 10 days of rehabilitation activity requirement days.
Anti-Glazer fan turned on police: Jake Hayes
An officer was kicked to the testicles as police responded to ugly scenes outside Old Trafford. Up to 2,000 people had descended on the ground to protest against the Glazer family's ownership of Manchester United.
The initially peaceful protest turned violent as some protestors broke into the stadium ahead of the scheduled Premier League fixture between United and Liverpool, which was to be played behind closed doors in May last year due to the coronavirus. As police officers were pelted with bottles and cans, scuffles broke out between some protestors and police.
During one confrontation, 21-year-old Jake Hayes kicked an officer to the testicles. "It knocked the wind out of him, causing him to feel instantly sick," prosecutor David Lees said.
The officer suffered pain and bruising and had to take 'several days' off work. Hayes' barrister said the dad-of-two had 'got carried away with the crowds' after planning to protest peacefully.
Hayes, of Whitebeam Close, Salford; pleaded guilty to violent disorder and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Earlier this month, he was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years.
Hours of abuse: Wayne Parker
Parker subjected police to vile abuse during a six hour rampage. After being called to his home in Worsley when 33-year-old Parker had suffered a cut to his eye, he became abusive.
"If you come near me I’ll t*** you all," Parker shouted, and he told one officer: "F*** off you slag'. Parker was arrested for being drunk and disorderly and then taken to hospital.
When he arrived he continued to make threats, saying 'I will get your mum raped' and 'I will kill you all for being police'. Turning his attentions to a police officer named PC Yusuf, he repeatedly called her a "p**i" and "p**i face".
Hospital staff initially decided that Parker was being too violent to enter the hospital but he was eventually taken to triage, where his behaviour continued. He kicked another officer, PC Barnes, in the leg and told him that he would 'find him on the dark web' and 'torture his family'.
Parker pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer and racially aggravated harassment. The judge, Recorder Simon Hilton described the incident as 'hours of boisterous, abusive, at times threatening, behaviour'. In August, he sentenced Parker to three months imprisonment, suspended for two years.
Bodycam rage: Nicholas Lewis
Lewis threatened to 'f*** up' a police officer before biting him on the leg. Police had been called to a property in north Manchester following a disturbance.
Lewis, 40, resisted arrest and called one officer a 'ginger c***' as police attempted to restrain him. After being taken to custody and put in a cell for the officer's safety, Lewis continued to verbally abuse police before biting one officer to his right thigh.
The officer had to be taken to hospital due to concerns that he may have a possible infection, prosecutors said. Bodycam footage shown to the court picked up Lewis shouting at officers 'I will f*** you up d***heads.'
In October last year, Lewis, of Fenchurch Avenue, Newton Heath, was sentenced for 18 months in prison, suspended for two years after admitting two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was also sentenced after being convicted of two counts of breach of a non-molestation order against a former partner.
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