Two Dunedin police officers were assaulted on Saturday night in what has been described as a "senseless and disgusting" attack.
Sergeant Dave Scott said the two male constables were driving on David St, Caversham, about 11.50pm and observed a domestic incident in progress.
When they went to intervene, they were allegedly punched multiple times, kicked and one was bitten on the wrist.
They both suffered concussion and last night were recovering at home.
A 26-year-old male, 20-year-old male, and 22-year-old female, all from Dunedin, were arrested and charged with assault, threatening to kill, obstructing police and resisting arrest.
They will appear in the Dunedin District Court on Friday.
"This is a situation where two constables have been out serving their community and have been assaulted and injured for doing their job.
"It is senseless and disgusting," Sgt Scott said.
Police Association Otago-Southland regional director Detective Sergeant Brett Roberts said police personnel were trained to deal with such incidents and had a range of tactical options available.
Being prepared to deal with such situations had become part of working for the public these days, he said.
The incident follows the discussion of arming the nation's police force, and action to amend the Sentencing Act to make offending against police and corrections officers an aggravating factor at sentencing.
Last year, there were 74 assaults on officers in the Dunedin-Clutha area with the resultant injuries mostly being cuts, bruises, sprains and bites.
In 2008, there were 96 assaults on police reported.
Prime Minister John Key said in February statistics showed that nationally there were 216 assaults on police in 1999-2000, compared with 412 in 2008-09.
Last month, a Glenavy man was jailed for two years and two months for what was described by the sentencing judge as a "cowardly attack" on a policeman in Oamaru in February this year.
A second man involved in the incident was sentenced to six months home detention.
