Three police officers were allegedly assaulted with a concrete roof tile while trying to conduct a random breath test at Buchanan.
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The officers, who were connected to Hunter Highway Patrol and taking part in a drink driving blitz, were given first aid at the scene after the attack but required no further treatment.
A 46-year-old man was charged over the incident.
Police will allege the man was signalled to pull over for the breath test on Buchanan Road at about 4.40pm on Thursday, November 3 but failed to stop.
The driver pulled over further down the road where police questioned the man.
Hunter highway patrol cluster supervisor Senior Sergeant Tony Grace said the man allegedly became aggravated.
The man was arrested and charged with assault and intimidate police and was taken to Maitland Hospital for mandatory blood and urine testing. He was released on bail and is due to appear in Maitland Local Court on November 28.
Later that same evening, the man was apprehended for allegedly kicking a glass door at Muswellbrook Police Station.
He was arrested and charged with malicious damage.
The man was refused bail and was scheduled to appear in Tamworth Local Court on Tuesday but the matter was adjourned until Wednesday.
The incident occurred during a three-day road blitz that targeted drink driving across NSW. Police around the state coordinated the operation from Thursday to Sunday.
In the Central Hunter local area command, which covers Maitland, Kurri Kurri and Cessnock, police conducted more than 2000 breath tests across the three days.
Eight people were arrested for drink driving during the operation, a ratio of one in 250. Senior Sergeant Grace said this was quite an “average” result.
“We’d obviously prefer that no one drank and drove, but it’s quite an average response,” he said.
With the Bitter and Twisted festival on at Maitland Gaol on Saturday, Senior Sergeant Grace said police were present in the East Maitland area.
He said they also targeted populated areas in Cessnock and Kurri Kurri.
As well as the drink driving incidents, police also picked up motorists for several other offences.
Thirteen traffic and criminal charges were laid, 25 speeding infringements were issued and 72 infringement notices were presented.
All up though, Senior Sergeant Grace said it was a successful operation as no fatal or severe collisions had occurred.
That trend was extended across the state, with no lives lost on NSW roads across the three days.
Senior sergeant Grace said with the Christmas period approaching people should expect an increased police presence on the roads.
Sage Swinton
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
