Last Monday afternoon, Arrigorriaga police officers received a call: a man in a local bar exhibited aggressive behavior and began threatening customers and the manager, using a fire extinguisher. When the officers arrived, the assailant refused to identify himself and attacked one of the officers, delivering punches, kicks, and elbow strikes. It took the officers several minutes to apprehend the individual.
A patrol from the Ertzaintza also arrived at the bar and took the arrested man away. As a result of the assault, emergency services attended to both officers, who have taken a two-week leave due to the injuries sustained.
The Esan union has denounced this incident as "a daily dangerous occurrence," not an isolated case. The union emphasizes that violence against police officers cannot become part of the job, and that in recent times, there have been continuous assaults, threats, and insults against officers of the Ertzaintza and local police forces in the Basque Country.
Maite Ibarra, the mayor of Arrigorriaga, has expressed her solidarity with the assaulted officers and wished them a speedy recovery. She has also called on citizens to act with due respect towards all municipal employees.
