A 32-year-old Italian national was arrested by the Guardia Civil, with help from the Local Police of Pollença in Mallorca, after he seriously injured a man by striking him with a square manhole cover while attempting to shield his five-year-old son from the blow.
The suspect, described as agitated, confronted officers violently and had to be restrained.
The events unfolded around 3 p.m. on Saturday in Port de Pollença.
It began inside a pizzeria, where the man appeared to be under the influence of drugs and provoked a disturbance by berating and spitting at several customers, prompting the owner to eject him.
Outside, he turned violent toward the restaurant employee, delivering several punches.
A foreign man living in the town, who was walking with his five-year-old son, intervened to stop the attack.
The aggressor moved between the assailant and the waiter, and then grabbed a square manhole cover to try to strike the bystander.
Seeing the child approach, the father stepped in to shield him with his hands. He was struck on the hand by the corner of the metal piece, producing a deep cut.
Meanwhile, several patrols from the Local Police of Pollença and the Guardia Civil rushed to the scene after emergency calls from witnesses.
Officers had difficulty restraining the suspect, who remained highly agitated. They finally subdued him. Given his condition, the Guardia Civil requested an ambulance, which administered a sedative. The man, identified as a 32-year-old Italian, was taken to the hospital in Inca in custody.
The injured man additionally received medical attention for a deep cut on his hand, which required stitches.
The suspect remained detained on two counts of injuries, for the wound to the man he struck and for the blows delivered to the waiter, though the latter injuries were minor. The Guardia Civil suspects the detainee may have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs when the assaults occurred.