Police said “investigating the possibility that this was a deliberate act”
Police said “investigating the possibility that this was a deliberate act”
A police officer leapt out of the way after a grey van was “driven towards” him during a traffic stop, Merseyside Police said. The incident occurred at around 8pm yesterday, December 14, after the officer stopped a vehicle on Durning Road for suspected traffic offences.
The officer was stood at the side of the road, in Wavertree, order to speak to the driver when the grey van was driven towards him, the force said. A Merseyside Police spokesman said: “While carrying out his enquiries, a grey van was driven towards the officer.”
“Luckily, the officer saw it coming and was able to jump out the way of the vehicle. The wing mirror of the van struck his arm, but thankfully he managed to escape without any serious injuries.
“The driver of the van failed to stop and continued to drive away.
“An investigation was carried out into the incident and a 40-year-old man from Liverpool was arrested this morning (Monday 15 December) on suspicion of section 18 attempt wounding with intent and failing to provide specimen for analysis. He remains in police custody.”
Detective Inspector Lee Egerton said: “This was a truly shocking ordeal for the officer, who thankfully didn’t sustain any serious injuries.
“We are investigating the possibility that this was a deliberate act and that the driver of this van saw the officer and intentionally drove towards him.
“If this is the case, it’s an extremely reckless and dangerous act. It’s only due to the quick-thinking actions of the officer, who was able to jump out the way, that he didn’t end up in hospital with serious injuries.
“The driver then failed to stop at the scene, but thankfully we now have a suspect in custody after carrying out an investigation.
“Our officers serve their communities with bravery and determination on a daily basis. For anyone to target our officers with any form of violence is completely unacceptable and we will fully investigate all such incidents.”
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call 101 or DM @MerPolCC on social media, quoting reference number 25001020492. You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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