COVID-19: Teen arrested for spitting at police officer

Devon and Cornwall Police responded to a call about the suspicious behaviour of a teenager in Boscawen Street, Truro. Accused of shoplifting, the 14-year-old girl resisted the police by attacking them. Police officers were forced to arrest her after she kicked an officer and spat at another, threatening the spread of the novel coronavirus.

On Tuesday at around 6:15 pm, police officers were called to the city centre by local shops. An unnamed teen was reportedly stealing from shops. Police officers arrived on the scene and tried to communicate with the young offender. Instead of cooperating with the police, the teen lashed out against them.

Taking to Twitter, police commander Ian Drummond-Smith confirmed that the Truro shoplifter attacked the police officers by kicking and spitting at them. Drummond-Smith's tweet also revealed that a bit of the offender's spit landed inside the mouth of one of the officers. This put the officer at risk of contracting COVID-19.

For causing the threat of spreading the disease, the teen was arrested after the attack. Cornwall Live reported that a police spokesperson confirmed the arrest. However, it has not been revealed if the teen has been charged with any criminal offence yet.

Individuals have recently been using their bodily fluids as a weapon, as there is justified panic caused by COVID-19. In a similarly senseless attack, a three-year-old child had spit smeared on her face by teenage thugs who were flouting social distancing rules.

On Sunday at around 3:30 pm, 28-year-old Matt Batty of Darfield, Barnsley was walking home from the shops with his three-year-old daughter, Alice-Rose Batty, when the incident took place. Alice-Rose innocently had told a group of four teens to go home as they were breaking lockdown rules.

In retaliation, one of the teens spat in his hands and wiped it on the child's face. He then told the father that he has the novel coronavirus before the group sped away on their bicycles. Police officers from the South Yorkshire police have launched an investigation to track down the culprit, the Examiner Live reported. They also met with the distraught child and reassured her that they would punish the teens.