By JESSE GRAHAM
A POLICE officer stabbed in Healesville four years ago was honoured last week with a special award for injured or killed officers.
Lilydale Police Leading Senior Constable Christopher Bullen was awarded with the Victoria Police Star on Tuesday 21 October, at Ringwood’s Karralyka Centre.
Leading Sen Const Bullen was on duty in Healesville on 7 December, 2010, when he attempted to arrest James D’Zilva at Healesville’s Coles Express petrol station at about 10.20pm.
D’Zilva – who had a diagnosis of Disorganised Schizophrenia and had not taken his medication – stabbed Leading Sen Const Bullen eight times in the head, eye and torso, before fleeing.
Leading Sen Const Bullen received surgery at the time for his wounds, and was discharged from hospital on 10 December.
The incident sparked a month-long manhunt through Christmas Hills, Kangaroo Ground, Yarra Glen, Hurstbridge and Healesville, before D’Zilva was arrested in Richmond on 5 January.
He was sentenced to time already served in 2012.
The Victoria Police Star was introduced in 2006, and honours Victoria Police employees killed or seriously injured while on or off duty.
