What happened to the police officer in Armagh?

An officer was sprayed in the face with HIV-positive blood at Craigavon Area Hospital during an incident with a detained patient.

How many assaults on police officers were reported recently?

The Police Service of Northern Ireland recorded 2,630 assaults on officers between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025.

What risks do police officers face in hospitals?

Officers can face unpredictable situations, including physical assaults and exposure to bodily fluids, as demonstrated by an incident involving HIV-positive blood.

Home / Crime and Justice / Officer's Ordeal: HIV Blood Sprayed in Face

Officer's Ordeal: HIV Blood Sprayed in Face

22 Nov

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Summary

An officer was sprayed with HIV-positive blood in the eye and mouth.
The incident occurred while attending a patient at Craigavon Area Hospital.
Over 2,600 assaults on officers were recorded in the past year.

Officer's Ordeal: HIV Blood Sprayed in Face

A police officer has recounted the significant stress experienced after being intentionally sprayed with blood confirmed to be HIV positive. The distressing incident took place in August at Craigavon Area Hospital while the officer was attending to a detained patient. During the encounter, the patient became agitated, leading to a cannula being forcefully removed.

The forceful removal caused the cannula to swing, spraying blood onto the attending officer and a fellow constable. The officer reported that the blood entered both their eye and mouth, heightening the immediate medical and psychological concern. This event underscores the risks faced by law enforcement personnel.

Data from the Police Service of Northern Ireland reveals that this assault is part of a larger trend. Between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025, a total of 2,630 assaults were registered against police officers, highlighting ongoing challenges to officer safety.

Disclaimer: This story has been auto-aggregated and auto-summarised by a computer program. This story has not been edited or created by the Feedzop team.