Northern Territory police say two officers have been injured after an axe was thrown at their vehicle during unrest in the Top End community of Daly River.
The incident occurred as police were responding to reports of dangerous driving in the community 220 kilometres south of Darwin on Sunday night, according to statement released on Monday.
"Yesterday evening, police received reports of a group of offenders driving around the community in stolen vehicles whilst armed with weapons," the statement said.
"In the process of responding to calls for assistance from the community an axe was thrown at a police vehicle, shattering a window and injuring the two officers inside.
"Both received glass cuts, with one officer being struck by the axe causing a laceration to his arm."
No other information was provided about the extent of the community unrest reported by police.
The statement said extra officers have been sent to the community. No arrests have been reported.
The Victoria Daly Regional Council has been contacted for comment.
NT Police Commander Kylie Anderson said it was lucky the officers had not been seriously injured.
"It is a shameful act to harm a police officer who is simply doing their job and responding to calls for assistance from the community," she said.
Police union boss 'horrified' by alleged attack
Following news of the attack, the police union issued a press release demanding an urgent meeting of a government working group established to discuss penalties for assaults on frontline workers.
Northern Territory Police Association president Paul McCue said he had been horrified to learn of the attack on Monday afternoon.
"This is every officer's nightmare," he said.
"It quite easily could have been much more serious than what it was."
He said the most recent data provided by NT Police showed between July 1, 2022 and November 17, 2022 there had been 72 assaults on police.
"But it's not just the number, it's the severity of those assaults which has really caused our concern and this particular incident is one of the worst that you can imagine," he said.
Mr McCue said the union was calling for the urgent introduction of tougher penalties.
NT Police Minister Kate Worden condemned the assault, saying any attack on police was disgraceful.
She also defended the current penalties in place for assaults against police and other frontline officers.
"We as a government recently reviewed our legislation for assaults against our frontline officers and found that we have some of the toughest penalties in the country for this kind of cowardly behaviour, [and] this includes mandatory sentencing," she said.
She also said the government had recently strengthened the penalty for spitting on officers, which is now considered aggravated assault.
