Horror moment man ‘deliberately’ runs down three cops at a routine traffic stop leaving them with devastating injuries
- Thomas Matthews struck three police officers in July 2021
- The Canberra officers were giving another driver a caution
- He plead guilty to two charges and is set to be sentenced
A man has admitted to deliberately running down three police officers who were conducting an unrelated traffic stop on the side the road.
Thomas Matthews, hit Detective leading senior constable Alun Mills and constables Melanie Miller and Alyce Mueck, outside the National Arboretum in Canberra’s west, at 2:51pm on July 11, 2021.
Disturbing dashcam footage shows the officers conversing before Matthews veers sharply towards them at about 20km/h
He has pleaded guilty to two counts of negligently causing grievous bodily harm and is now awaiting sentencing.
Two of the officers suffered severe injuries as a result of the bizarre incident.
Thomas Matthews has pleaded guilty to two charges after striking three officers with his car (pictured) outside the National Arboretum, in Canberra’s west, at 2:51pm on July 11 2021
Constable Alyce Mueck received three fractures in her right leg and needed to have surgery performed to insert a tibia nail – used to close fractures in the tibia.
Detective leading senior constable Alun Mills has experienced ongoing back and muscular pains after suffering an acute compression fracture to his T12 bone in his spine.
Constable Melanie Miller suffered large bruise on her left thigh.
At the time of the incident, Matthews was medicated with an injection of paliperidone, a drug that is used to treat schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.
He had also taken lorazepam, medication for insomnia, and temazepam, medication for insomnia and anxiety.
No alcohol was in his system when police conducted a blood test following the crash.
During mental health assessments following the crash, Matthews told a forensic psychologist he did not have feelings of self-harm.
He later told a nurse that his mental health was ‘fine’, but reported feeling sedated by the medication he was on and not remembering much about the incident.
Dashcam footage shows Matthews veering sharply left at the officers before hitting that at a speed -that police to be- of up 19km/h
His lawyer, Jack Pappas, told the court that Matthews’ mental health had stabilised since since the incident.
Mr Pappas stated that Matthews had ‘slipped into’ a serious mental state prior to the incident despite his family trying to intervene.
During sentencing hearing on Tuesday, prosecutor Anthony Williamson cautioned Justice Lucy McCallum against a non-prison sentence for violent crimes against police.
Matthews is set to be sentenced on March 17.
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