Police fire warning shots to stop aggressive attacker

A 24 year-old-man from Balzan is being kept under medical observation and is expected to be arraigned under arrest upon his discharge from hospital after a serious fight in Balzan at 3 a.m. yesterday.

Police sources said the man first had an argument with a group of youths in Pjazza Bertu Fenech, and an officer from the village police station stopped the fight. However, moments later the man was seen going in the direction of the police station brandishing a meta bar. The policeman tried to calm him down but the man became more aggressive, injuring the officer with the bar.

Reinforcements were called in and when the mobile squad turned up, the man smashed the windscreen of a police car and started hitting the car with the bar. Being in possession of a large bread knife, the police said officers fired two warning shots before managing to pin the man down and arrest him.

The man was taken to hospital suffering from injuries to his nose.

Two policemen had to receive treatment for injuries they sustained.

Police Inspector Kevin J. Farrugia is heading the investigations.