Man allegedly assaulted off-duty police officer in Moree

An off-duty Senior Constable was allegedly assaulted while arresting a 20-year-old man in Moree earlier this month.

About 2pm on Friday, January 6, an off-duty police officer from the Moree Highway Patrol was driving his personal vehicle when he observed a man holding a barbecue being chased on Warialda Street. It is alleged the man stole the barbecue from a hardware store and was being pursued by a staff member.

The off-duty officer stopped and arrested the man who allegedly violently resisted arrest, punching the officer in the face. The man continued to resist arrest for a number of minutes while further police were called.

He managed to escape the off-duty officer’s custody for a short time before being arrested again with the assistance of officers from the New England Police District.

The man’s brother, a 21-year-old man, was arrested a short time later as well.

It is alleged he attempted to steal a number of items from the same hardware store at the same time. The 21-year-old man had only just been arrested the day before for allegedly stealing from another hardware store in Moree. The total value of goods recovered was $1006.

Both men, from Moree, were conveyed to Moree Police Station. The 20-year-old was charged with shoplifting, resist arrest, assault police and escape police custody.

The 21-year-old was charged with three counts of shoplifting. Investigations revealed he was the suspect in a number of thefts from the same hardware store on previous days. Both men were refused bail to appear at Tamworth Local Court. They were granted strict conditional bail by the court to appear at Moree Local Court on January 23, 2023.

The police officer received minor injuries with some bruising and swelling to his face and minor abrasions on his body.