Three local police officers injured in an aggressive confrontation in l’Horta Sud
Three local police officers from the Alaquàs force were called to respond to a disturbance on a Monday night after a neighbor reported excessive noise in an apartment building. The location is on José González Huguet street in the town of l’Horta Sud, a busy area that often sees a mix of residential life and commerce after dark.
Upon arrival, the officers entered the flat where occupants described as living in difficult conditions were found, along with two dogs that were reportedly dangerous. The scene quickly became hazardous as the residents and the animals charged at the police with severe aggression. During the escalation, one of the occupants managed to bite and partially injure a local officer’s ear. The officers attempted to control the situation using standard protective measures and a pair of electric immobilizers, which helped immobilize the attacker long enough for the officers to gain control of the scene. The assailant was subsequently arrested and taken into custody.
One officer was hospitalized with injuries, the second sustained a broken arm that required a cast, and the third officer also suffered injuries significant enough to require medical attention and observation. All three officers received treatment and remained under medical supervision following the incident.
The demand for faster support
The event highlights challenges associated with the current protocol for requesting police assistance. In the past, officers could directly summon support via the Xirivella National Police, a system that allowed rapid, on-site responses. Following recent reforms, the process has been centralized in Valencia. When a call comes in, the dispatcher must determine availability by contacting the central service, which then coordinates the nearby patrols to respond. This change can introduce delays, often ranging from five to eight minutes, a critical window in serious emergencies. Local officers have expressed concern about the centralized approach and the potential for slower response times compared with the previous decentralized system. They are advocating for a return to the former method that enabled quicker, direct access to immediate police support on the ground, with a faster, more predictable deployment to high-risk incidents.