Police on Thursday said an officer had been attacked during checks to monitor citizens’ movement in Larnaca.
Police spokesperson Christos Andreou said a 19-year-old driver was fined €150 around 9pm on Wednesday in the Larnaca district after he was stopped by police without the necessary documents.
The teenager then called his 52-year-old father, who arrived at the scene and started yelling at the officer, complaining about the fine.
He then allegedly punched a policeman in the face and was arrested.
The 52-year-old was charged with assault on an officer and released by the court on €5,000 bail.
Andreou told the Cyprus Mail on Thursday, that this had not been the only case where officers were attacked by members of the public during the checks on drivers and pedestrians as part of the state’s measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
At 11am on Wednesday in Larnaca, where most violations of the decree are taking place, he said, a 45-year-old driver on Yiannou Kranidiotis Street ignored a police signal to stop. Instead, he sped up endangering the life of an officer who was standing in the middle of the road.
“If the policeman had not moved on time, the car would have hit him,” Andreou said.
The 45-year-old was arrested after a car chase, he was charged in writing and then released.
“Citizens need to understand that is the responsibility of police to oversee the implementation of the measures,” Andreou said, adding that the aim was not to fine people but to protect public health.
Another incident occurred on March 27, when a 30-year-old man spat on a police officer and kicked a police car when he was stopped for a check in Ayios Tychonas, Limassol. The man had refused to give his personal information to the officers.
Following directions of the police chief, patrolling was increased in areas with increased coronavirus cases such as Aradippou and Paphos.
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