A Cessnock man is due to front court next month accused of assaulting an off-duty police officer at Hamilton.
The 26-year-old officer had stopped his car at the traffic lights at the corner of Donald and Beaumont Streets at about 3.00am on Saturday when one of three men crossing the road placed his hands and then sat on the vehicle, bouncing it up and down.
The officer got out and was speaking to one of the men when a second man approached and allegedly punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground before the trio left.
He was treated at the scene by Ambulance paramedics before being taken to the John Hunter Hospital for observation.
Inquiries led police to an address at Cessnock where they arrested a 24-year-old man.
He's been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and has been granted conditional bail to appear in Newcastle Local Court on Thursday February 16.
