The hero police officer who was run over by his own patrol vehicle while trying to stop a car thief may never return to front-line work, it emerged today.
A 42-year-old West Midlands Police officer was injured in Birmingham yesterday, suffering serious internal injuries and a broken pelvis.
Superintendent Tom Joyce from East Birmingham Neighbourhood policing said his colleague is still sedated in hospital.
He said the traffic officer, who has been with West Midlands Police since 2002 and comes from a policing family, was injured by his own BMW.
Superintendent Joyce said: ‘He had surgery last night and again this morning. He has a broken pelvis and internal injuries including to organs.
‘His injuries are not life-threatening but he’ll need a long recuperative process before returning to active service, if he ever does.’
A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder
A traffic officer has been seriously injured after being punched and run over by a suspected car thief in Birmingham
West Midlands Police are pictured at the scene on Saturday as the officer was being treated for head and pelvic injuries
The suspect attacked the officer as he tried to apprehend him for stealing a Range Rover from a woman minutes earlier.
A 29-year-old man from Hall Green has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. The officer will return to the operating theatre later today, West Midlands Police said.
The traffic officer also had surgery on Saturday evening, and his condition is not life-threatening, the force said, adding: ‘We don’t know his long-term prognosis at this stage and our best wishes remain with him and his family at this difficult time.’
Dr Adil Butt, 39, a resident of Moorcroft road, saw the events take place on his road and helped the officer who’s head was bleeding by compressing the wound and monitoring his breathing.
Dr Butt, a father-of-four said: ‘The officer was bleeding from his head, obvious pelvis injuries and abdominal injuries, I did what I could to support him whilst waiting for the paramedic.
‘He was in a critical condition, myself and the other officers put some compression on his head, and I got some pillows from my house.
‘I have never seen this up close and personal, I usually see the patient when they have arrived at the hospital – the poor chap was distressed and quite drowsy.
‘The officers were all trying to support him by talking to him and making sure he was reassured that everything is going to be ok.
‘He was in pain, the other officers were joking around with him to try and keep his spirits high, but he was feeling the effects of the injury.
‘I kept an eye on his pulse and made sure his air ways and circulation was ok, everything seemed to be quite stable.
‘When the paramedics arrived, we gave him some morphine to dampen down his pain but he was in a difficult place, the impact and force of the collision was high.
A man, who refused to provide any personal details, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder (Pictured: Moment of arrest)
‘I am in shock that this has happened, I never would have expected this in a million years, It was like something out of a warzone.’
In a statement, West Midlands Police said the officer was in Moseley tracing a Range Rover Sport which had been stolen minutes earlier from a woman.
The force said that as the officer attempted to arrest the suspect at about 4.45pm, he was violently assaulted and punched to the ground.
The alleged attacker jumped behind the wheel of the police car and drove over him.
Dr. Butt continued: ‘I walked out the house with my two sons who are under ten years-old and as I put them in the car, the commotion unfolded.
‘Initially, it was just two unmarked police cars coming from both sides of the road to block the Range Rover in the middle.
‘I didn’t know it was a stolen car, and I could hear popping noises which turned out to be a taser.
‘I put my children in the car whilst it was all going on and I stepped back so I could have an overview of what was going on.
In a statement, West Midlands Police said the traffic officer was in Moorcroft Road, Moseley, tracing a Range Rover Sport which had been stolen minutes earlier from a woman
‘The police were shouting at the two men in the car, they were trying to taser them whilst they were in the car to restrict them, but they were significantly resisting.
‘They were screeching and skidding the wheels, they were trying to barge cars out of the way, they were desperate to escape.
‘Around seven more police cars appeared, and police were jumping on the car and trying to get the men out.
‘They managed them out of the car and continued tasering them, both men were big guys and towered over the female officers.
‘The passenger from the car was tasered and arrested but despite their best efforts the drive couldn’t be restrained.
The force said that as the officer attempted to arrest the suspect at about 4.45pm, he was violently assaulted and punched to the ground
West Midlands Police said it is understood the man drove in the stolen vehicle for around a mile into Ladypool Road, Sparkbrook. When he abandoned it and tried to steal another car he was cornered by back-up officers including armed police, who tasered and arrested him
‘He had been tasered multiple times but he wasn’t going down and somehow he got sight that there was an unmarked police car with the keys in.
‘There were police on him and pulling him as best as they could – they were fighting at the entrance of the car, but he managed to squeeze himself through the gap into the vehicle.
‘During the tussle, one of the policemen fell – I couldn’t see exactly what happened but essentially the car knocked the officer.
‘I don’t know if it was intentional, but as he hit in the officer as he was trying to escape.
‘He drove off the road onto the pavement and the helicopter followed him.
‘People aren’t scared about the consequences anymore, they aren’t punished hard enough and that creates more crime.
‘I hope the officer has a speedy recovery.’
West Midlands Police said it is understood the man drove in the stolen vehicle for around a mile into Ladypool Road, Sparkbrook.
When he abandoned it and tried to steal another car he was cornered by back-up officers including armed police, who tasered and arrested him.
In a statement, West Midlands Police said the traffic officer was in Moorcroft Road, Moseley, tracing a Range Rover Sport which had been stolen minutes earlier from a woman
Resident of Moorcroft road Dr Adil Butt, 39, saw the events take place on his road and helped the officer as he lay bleeding
The force said in a statement yesterday: ‘As he [the officer] moved in to arrest the man he was violently assaulted and punched to the ground – and then run over by the suspect as he jumped behind the wheel of the Pc’s police patrol vehicle.
‘It’s understood the man drove the marked police car for around a mile into Ladypool Road, Sparkbrook, where he abandoned the vehicle and tried to steal another car.
‘However, he was cornered by police back-up – including armed police – and Tasered before being arrested.’
The suspect has refused to identify himself. Home Secretary Priti Patel said she is ‘appalled’ by the attack and wished the officer a speedy recovery.
She tweeted: ‘I am appalled by the sickening attack on one of our brave police officers @WMPolice. My thoughts are with the officer & his family.
‘I wish him a good recovery & I am being kept informed of the situation following this attack.’
Assistant Chief Constable Sarah Boycott, said: ‘This is a shocking attack in which a member of our police family has been seriously hurt while trying to detain a crime suspect.
Police said the suspect, who had just stolen a Range Rover from a woman shopper, attacked the officer as he tried to arrest him in Moorcroft Road, Moseley, then stole his patrol car and ran over him as he fled
The force said in a statement: ‘As he moved in to arrest the man he was violently assaulted and punched to the ground – and then run over by the suspect as he jumped behind the wheel of the Pc’s police patrol vehicle’
‘I’m heading to the hospital now to get an update on his condition and offer whatever support I can to him and his family.
‘Attacks on our officers and staff won’t be tolerated and we will always seek the toughest possible criminal justice outcome for offenders.’
West Midlands Police tweeted: ‘One of our police has been seriously injured after being run over by a suspected car thief in #Birmingham.
‘He’s being treated in hospital for head and pelvic injuries. A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. More to follow.’
Eyewitness Sohail Razaque said he was driving up to the junction of Ladypool Road when a police car came past him on sirens and collided with another vehicle up ahead.
Mr Razaque, a manager at Birmingham-based BMV Solicitors, said: ‘There was one car ahead of me and we pulled over to let police come past, and there were lots of sirens and a police helicopter.
Eyewitness Sohail Razaque said he was driving up to the junction of Ladypool Road when a police car came past him on sirens and collided with another vehicle up ahead (Pictured: Scene on Moorcroft Road)
Mr Razaque, a manager at Birmingham-based BMV Solicitors, said: ‘There was one car ahead of me and we pulled over to let police come past, and there were lots of sirens and a police helicopter’ (Pictured: Scene on Moorcroft Road)
‘The police car went past got into the junction and then hit another car and skidded, and it turned round and went back a few dozen metres. There was some confusion up ahead then, and I stayed in the car.
‘But while we were stopped I saw a man in a white shit and red trousers, and he was trying to get into what looked like a white Nissan car.
‘He half got in it, then got back out again and then he tried to get through some metal shutters that looked like it was a shop at the roadside.
‘By then the police were already following him trying to get him to stop, shouting at him to get down.
‘But he didn’t and continued further up on a junction of Ladypool Road.’
Police examine the stolen Range Rover in Moorcroft Road, Moseley, Birmingham
Police are on the scene after a stolen Range Rover was abandoned in Moorcroft Road, Moseley, Birmingham
Forensic police on the scene on Moorcroft Road, Moseley after a traffic officer was attacked and run over by his own patrol car by a suspected car theft
Mr Razaque, 48, from Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, added: ‘Then on the corner, a lot of other people had come out the shops to see what was going on.
‘The officers there were on their radios and saying ‘its’ the guy in the coloured trousers’ and they saw him trying to get in the car.
‘It all happened pretty quickly.
‘There were about 40 police, a lot of them armed , some had Tasers, some had guns.
Police are on the scene after a stolen Range Rover was abandoned in Moorcroft Road, Moseley, Birmingham
Police are on the scene after a stolen Range Rover was abandoned in Moorcroft Road, Moseley, Birmingham
Police are on the scene after a stolen Range Rover was abandoned in Moorcroft Road, Moseley, Birmingham
‘He was sort of almost walking through the crowds, with the officers following – and that’s where they Tasered him and took him down.
‘There was about four or five officers on top of him and then about five minutes later, they had him up, and walked him past me and put him in a police car.
‘I thought I would be able to carry on driving, but then the police cordon was up so we couldn’t go anywhere for quite a while.’
A 20-year-old man, who did not want to be named, described seeing the suspect’s arrest.
‘[It] was just instant chaos, sirens and shouting, [it] all happened very fast. Everyone was rushing over,’ the witness said.
‘I came when the police arrived, they was literally sprinting to the scene, then back-up armed coppers came to arrest him. He was trying to run away then he got Tasered to the floor then tackled.’