Media release

Arrests - Disturbance - Tennant Creek

Police

Two people have been arrested in relation to a disturbance in Tennant Creek over the weekend.

Police responded to a report of a domestic violence incident in which a child was allegedly assaulted at a residence in Tennant Creek around 11:30pm on Friday.

On arrival residents identified a 29-year-old man as the offender, who was apprehended and taken to the Tennant Creek Watch House and later charged with one count of Aggravated Assault.

Additional police were called to assist as a crowd gathered and surrounded the police officers during the arrest.

Officers deployed OC spray on a 24-year-old man after he is alleged to have become aggressive and abusive towards police before charging at an officer. He was arrested and transported to the watch house where he was decontaminated and later issued with an infringement for disorderly behaviour.

A 38 year old woman was also issued an infringement for disorderly behaviour during the disturbance.

Superintendent Kylie Anderson said that, whilst officers were responding to a report of a domestic violence incident, they encountered several other residents acting in a threatening manner and verbally abusing them with a large crowd becoming involved.

“It is not appropriate to assault others, and it is certainly not okay to threaten front line emergency service officers whether they be police, fire or paramedics who are responding to calls from the community for assistance and simply doing their job.  We are not your punching bags.”