Updated 12.20pm

A 39-year-old man is under arrest after he assaulted police officers and broke one’s hand inside the Sliema police station on Friday night.

In a statement, the police said the man stormed into the police station and began yelling and banging on Perspex as officers were speaking to one of his relatives about a dangerous driving report.

Police warned him to calm down but the man, a Maltese national, did not obey.

Instead, he is alleged to have shoved a police officer against the wall and subsequently resisted arrest.  

One officer was grievously injured while two others were slightly injured in the struggle.

The man is to be charged in court in the coming days. Magistrate Antoine Agius Bonnici is leading an inquiry into the incident. 

The incident comes just weeks after another incident involving an assault on police officers prompted the government to propose tougher new penalties for anyone convicted of such crimes. 

In that case, five people are pleading not guilty to having assaulted two police officers in Ħamrun. The five were denied bail on Friday. 

Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri has said he would like to do away with suspended sentences for anyone convicted of assaulting officers.

On Saturday, he said he was dismayed to hear about the Sliema police station assault and looked forward to passing the legal amendments through parliament and into law.