Policewoman pepper-sprayed by suspect in bodycam video
Police bodycam footage captured the moment an officer was sprayed in the face with a noxious substance by a suspect.
It happened after she and a colleague had approached an address in Luton on 17 May following reports of a domestic assault.
Ionut Spanache, 31, opened the door and sprayed what Bedfordshire Police described as a PAVA-like substance - a kind of pepper spray - which caused her temporary blindness and breathing difficulties.
Spanache, of Dunstable Road, Luton was jailed for two years at Luton Crown Court on 17 July after admitting two counts of assault on an emergency worker, possession of a weapon for the discharge of a noxious liquid, and actual bodily harm.
Supt Rachael Glendenning said: "The assault of any emergency worker is abhorrent, and attacks on police officers carrying out their duties are especially concerning.
"Last month, we saw 33 officers seriously assaulted over the course of just seven days, with a number of officers requiring hospital treatment.
"I am pleased that Spanache has been brought to justice, and I hope this outcome demonstrates that the courts take violence against emergency workers seriously."
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