A man has been charged with attempted murder following a savage assault on police officers...

Published: 3:00 pm March 2, 2026
Updated: 3:28 pm March 2, 2026

A man has been charged with attempted murder following a savage assault on police officers involving an axe and a dog bite.

Violent Incident Rocks Bermondsey Estate

At 3.21pm on Sunday, 1 March, Central South emergency officers arrived at a property on Marine Street, Bermondsey, linked to an ongoing probe. The scene quickly turned violent when two officers were bitten by a dog. One officer also came under attack by a man wielding axes.

Suspect Tasered and Arrested on the Spot

The man, aged in his 40s, was Tasered by police and arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. A Cane Corso dog involved in the attack was seized and taken to police kennels.

Officers Injured But Recovering

  • Two officers were hurt by axe strikes and dog bites; both were taken to the hospital, but their injuries are not life-threatening and they have been discharged.
  • A third officer received a minor injury not requiring further treatment.

Charged and Due in Court

Stephen Coombes, 43, of Marine Street, Bermondsey, faces multiple charges: attempted murder, possessing a dangerously out-of-control dog causing injury, a racially aggravated Public Order offence, and harassment intended to cause fear of violence.

He is due to appear at Croydon Magistrates’ Court this afternoon, Monday, 2 March.

 

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called at 3.24pm yesterday (1 March) to reports of an assault on the Dickens Estate, SE15.

“We sent an ambulance crew, two paramedics in fast response cars, an incident response officer and a member of our Tactical Response Unit to the scene.

“We treated two patients at the scene and took them to a major trauma centre.”

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