NSW police officer injured, vehicles damaged by a large crowd who threw rocks and bottles near hotel outside Canberra
![A file image of police officers.](https://images.thewest.com.au/publication/B881425229Z/1578122961953_G4B2IPCH8.1-2.png?imwidth=810&impolicy=wan_v3)
A NSW police officer has been injured and vehicles damaged by a large crowd who threw rocks and bottles near a hotel just outside Canberra.
Officers were called to the hotel at Sutton near the Federal Highway overnight to find a gathering of about 2000 people and 500 vehicles.
The crowd was watching vehicles perform burnouts. Canberra is hosting the annual Summernats festival, which holds burnout competitions among its street machine events.
Vision posted on social media shows two police cars and two motorcycle officers passing through an intersection as people in the crowd hurl objects which hit the vehicles.
Police allege rocks struck a senior constable in the back of the head, cracked the rear windscreen of one police vehicle and broke the side mirror and rear window of another.
Acting Superintendent Neil Grey said the behaviour was “dangerous and unacceptable” and it was fortunate no one was seriously injured.
“It is appalling how ... some individuals choose to conduct themselves in such a reckless manner,” he said.
ACT Policing also attended the scene, with Canberra’s Chief Police Officer Ray Johnson saying the force hadn’t confirm whether the crowd was linked to Summernats.
“It was significantly anti-social and dangerous to the extreme, the behaviour,“ Mr Johnson told reporters in Canberra on Saturday.
“I can’t say for certain the people were Summernats related.”
Police stayed on scene until the crowd dispersed and no arrests were made.
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