VIDEO: Police use Taser gun to restrain man armed with axe after attack on Sheffield bobbies

Police officers used a Taser gun to restrain a man armed with an axe who attacked five bobbies - leaving one with a fractured skull and a broken leg.

Chief Superintendent David Hartley, Sheffield’s District Commander, revealed that the Taser was deployed while armed officers were en-route to the Co-op in Blackstock Road, where a man armed with an axe had fled after attacking two other officers at a nearby flat.

He said a female officer dealing with an initial report of a domestic incident at the flat in Plowright Close, Gleadless Valley, suffered injuries which require surgery today and ongoing treatment.

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In addition to the fractured skull and leg she suffered severe injuries to her hands as she tried to defend herself from the man wielding the axe.

Chf Supt Hartley said the injured female officer works in the local community.

He described the incident as ‘traumatic’ and said that although officers expect some hostility and violence in the line of duty, last night’s attack was ‘exceptional’.

“Police officers do expect to face hostility and levels of violence, that’s part of the job of keeping the public safe, but this is exceptional,” he said.

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“I would hope that this is a once in service scale of incident that they will have to face.

“It is reassuring that officers don’t routinely face this level of violence - it’s unusual.”

He said the incident had come as a ‘real shock’ and revealed that he had visited the injured officer in hospital at 6.30am today.

He said all the officers involved in apprehending the armed man had demonstrated ‘courageous actions’.