Police officer killed in axe attack in western Sydney
Earlier reports had wrongly said he was struck with an axe.
Mark Morri and Daniela Ongaro
Daily Telegraph
December 06, 2012 8:14PM
A SENIOR NSW police officer has died after being hit with an axe in western Sydney today.
He has been named as Detective Inspector Bryson Anderson, 45.
It is understood he had been responding to a neighbourhood dispute at Oakville, near Windsor, where a man was reportedly firing arrows into his neighbour’s yard
Arriving at the scene Insp. Anderson was allegedly struck with an axe and collapsed unconscious. He suffered serious head wounds and was taken to hospital.
The incident happened about 4.15pm. Senior police and detectives are currently at the scene.
"We can't release any further details at the moment,'' the spokesman said.
Police have taken two people into custody.
Police officer Bryson Anderson killed in knife attack in western Sydney
Daniela Ongaro, Clementine Cuneo, Mark Morri and Yoni Bashan
Daily Telegraph
December 06, 2012 9:56PM
Detective Inspector Bryson Anderson, 45, was fatally attacked moments after he and a colleague arrived at a rural property at Oakville, near Windsor, after a callout about a man firing a bow and arrow over a fence.
Police were called about 2pm and, as a senior officer, Insp Anderson arrived a couple of hours later when the situation escalated following a stand-off. He had only been at the Scheyville Rd property for a few minutes when he was allegedly knifed from behind. It is understood he had walked over to the fence to speak with the neighbour on the other side, when a 19-year-old man allegedly attacked him.
Earlier reports had wrongly said he was struck with an axe.
Insp Anderson's colleague's panicked calls for help, as his superior lay injured, were heard across the police radio network.
Senior police said the colleague tried desperately to render assistance to his dying partner but he lapsed into cardiac arrest.
With no time to wait for an ambulance helicopter, paramedics rushed Insp Anderson by road to Hawkesbury Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione rushed to the hospital shortly afterwards, where Insp Anderson's distraught wife and three children had gathered.
Back at the crime scene, a 19-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman, believed to be a mother and her son, were arrested and taken to Windsor police station for questioning.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal the feuding neighbours had been involved in a long-standing dispute, which had featured on A Current Affair in August this year.
One of the neighbours, who is not under arrest, is well-known to police and is well known in the tow truck industry.
Other residents in the street said the bad blood between the men was well known.
Outside the hospital, Mr Scipione paid tribute to his fallen colleague.
"A veteran of the police force ... an excellent officer and a damn good bloke," he said.
"He was called to a dispute and at the scene suffered some serious injuries. He was pronounced deceased a short time after."
He said NSW had lost a dedicated, brave and skilled officer, who would have gone a long way in the job. "Insp Anderson worked for me as a young officer. He was a fine officer then, his tenacity his courage his wisdom and his strength stood him in very good stead to go much much further than he has," Mr Scipione said.
Insp Anderson was heavily involved in an investigation of alleged police inaction following the high-profile case of domestic violence victim Catherine Smith.
Ms Smith was found not guilty of attempting to murder her own husband after revelations she had suffered 20 years of terror at her husband's hands.
Insp Anderson appeared on ABC'S Australian Story describing Ms Smith as "tenacious" and "probably one of the most singularly determined people that I have ever met".
He also personally delivered a letter of apology to Ms Smith following her acquittal.
"It was a step that we could take to try and restore Catherine's faith in the New South Wales police," he told the ABC.
NSW Police Association president Scott Weber said the force has lost a colleague and a leader in their our organisation.
"He was a father, a brother and an incredibly well-respected officer," Mr Weber said.
He said it was incomprehensible to think an officer could attend a routine neighbourhood dispute, and never go home. "It just highlights the dangers police face everyday. I ask anyone tomorrow if they see a police officer pass on their condolences," he said.
A neighbour who knew Insp Anderson said he was a well-known cop who had worked in various stations throughout western Sydney.
"He'd been around the traps a bit, and for this to happen is really hard to understand. He must have let his guard down which is unlike him," the neighbour said.
It is the second officer to die on duty this year, following the death of senior constable David Rixon who was shot in the chest during a traffic stop in Tamworth.
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