A BALLARAT police officer who was stabbed while on duty in 2013 has been awarded with one of the force’s highest awards – the Victoria Police Star.
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In an official honours and awards ceremony on Thursday afternoon, Senior Sergeant David Reither was commended by Assistant Commissioner Western Region Tess Walsh for efforts that went “so far above and beyond” the call of duty.
An emotional Senior Sergeant Reither said he hoped the award would help raise the community’s awareness of the dangers police faced.
“Wearing a uniform doesn’t make us 10 foot tall and bulletproof,” he said.
“(I’d like) the community to know the perilous nature of policing and the sacrifices police do make for the community. We want to make sure our members go to work and come home safe.”
Senior Sergeant Reither was stabbed four times by an ice user in the midst of a psychotic episode on the Midland Highway near Geelong on August 21, 2013.
Ballarat Police Superintendent Andrew Allen recalled the details of the incident, explaining Senior Sergeant Reither had observed a vehicle parked in the centre of the road, straddling the white line, facing the wrong way, and with its two occupants – the offender and his girlfriend – in the midst of a dispute.
Senior Sergeant Reither spoke to the pair, attempting to assist them, when he felt blows to his left side that he initially thought were punches. He struggled with the man for a short time before he noticed he was bleeding and had been stabbed.
He was airlifted to the Alfred Hospital with damage to his diaphragm and spleen, a broken rib, a lacerated artery, and having lost two litres of blood.
Senior Sergeant Reither gave special thanks to Alfred Hospital trauma nurse Clare Stewart, who took swift action when his condition deteriorated during the night. He said he still worked through emotional trauma following the incident.
“I recovered physically to a reasonable standard within three or four months but there’s obviously some ongoing issues that I work through each day but it’s been a good recovery,” he said.
Senior Sergeant Reither aimed to return to work as quickly as possible after the assault, which Superintendent Allen commended as “testament to his bravery and dedication”. Superintendent Allen also noted Senior Sergeant Reither’s ability to remain calm in what were “extreme circumstances”.
The Victoria Police Star is a medal recognising Victoria Police employees killed or seriously injured as a result of their association with the police force.