A Vancouver police officer was assaulted earlier this week while arresting a person during a 911 call in East Vancouver.
On Monday around 1 a.m., police responded to a person allegedly breaking things and threatening to assault people at a residential building near Clark Drive and East 12th Avenue.
Officers found the suspect inside the building and arrested them.
Sgt. Steve Addison said it wasn’t until the officers arrested the person that the assault took place.
The suspect was bleeding around the mouth and spat into the officer’s face as he was speaking to her post-arrest.
“The spit went directly into the officer’s mouth,” said Addison.
The police officer was transported to the hospital after the assault and he is now recovering at home.
“There were immediate physical concerns related to blood-borne transmission of infectious diseases,” he said.
Kaitlin Balfour, 33, has been charged with one count of assaulting a police officer, one count of uttering threats, and one count of breaching the conditions of a release order.
Balfour remains in custody.
Addison said this assault is the 35th time a police officer has been assaulted in Vancouver this year.
Assaults on police officers are up 25 per cent when compared to the same period last year.
