Spit Happens

Author: Tauheed Akram, Faisal Faruqi / Editor: Stephen Sheridan / Codes: IC5, IC6, IP4, SLO1, SLO3 / Published: 13/03/2026

Police officers arrive at a chaotic scene in a residential area, responding to reports of a highly agitated individual causing a disturbance. Upon arrival, they encounter a 38-year-old female, exhibiting erratic behaviour and shouting incoherently. As officers attempt to de-escalate the situation and place her under arrest for public disorder, she becomes increasingly combative.

During the struggle, the 38-year-old female deliberately turns and spits a significant amount of saliva directly into the face and mouth of a male police officer. She is subsequently subdued and, due to her continued agitation and the nature of the incident, transported to the Emergency Department (ED) for medical assessment and further management. En route, police confirms that she has a known history of being Hepatitis B positive, immediately raising concerns about potential occupational exposure for the male officer. The ED team is notified on arrival that an officer involved in the arrest and detention of the acutely agitated patient – also a known HepB +ve patient, is attending for assessment.