A man has been arrested and a cabinet containing a gun has been recovered, following a burglary in Dromore on Thursday.
During the arrest, the police officer was struck on the head by the suspect a number of times.
Detective Inspector Handley said: “A report was made to police shortly before 5pm on Thursday, February 23, that entry had been gained to a property in the area, and the cabinet taken, sometime between 2pm and 4.30pm.
“It was further reported that the cabinet which had been taken contained one firearm, while items of jewellery and medication were also reported to have been stolen during the burglary.
“Initial enquiries were conducted and a man, aged in his 30s, was arrested a short time later. He remains in custody at this time, assisting with enquiries in relation to a number of offences, including possession of controlled drugs.
“During the course of the arrest, the suspect struck a police officer to the head a number of times.
“Thankfully, the officer has not reported any serious injuries as a result of this but, once again, we have seen another unacceptable attack on a police officer who was simply doing their job.
“Our investigation remains ongoing and I would appeal to anyone with any information to contact us on 101, quoting reference 1428 of 23/2/23.”
Alternatively, a report can be submitted online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/
You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/