'Our officers put their own safety on the line' - Man tries to run over police with stolen Audi in Barnsley
A man is set to appear before the courts after driving his car towards police officers.
On Friday, November 7, at around 8pm, officers from the Roads Policing Proactive Team were on patrol and sighted an Audi A5 car which they believed was being driven on false plates.
The vehicle was parked along Nanny Marr Road in the Darfield area of Barnsley, and officers positioned their car and activated their blue lights.
One officer exited the vehicle to approach the driver of the Audi, though as they did the car suddenly began to accelerate.
It’s reported that the driver, a 56-year-old man, attempted to hit the police officer with his vehicle.
Subsequently, he attempted to flee the scene, as officers pursued.
During his escape attempt, the man drove on the wrong side of the road, exceeded the speed limits and carried out what police have described as dangerous manoeuvres.
With the driver showing no signs of stopping, the officer used their vehicle to push the driver away from the carriageway, but determined to evade officers, the driver travelled over a roundabout and began to head towards oncoming traffic.
At that point, the officer again used their car to push the vehicle towards the barrier and bring the pursuit to an end.
The driver was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, assault by beating of an emergency service worker and fraudulent use of a registration document.
Checks on the vehicle later showed it had been reported stolen. The man was further arrested on suspicion of aggravated vehicle taking.
He spent the weekend in custody for questioning and today (November 10) will appear before Sheffield Magistrates’ Court.
Roads Policing Inspector Matt Collings said: “Those involved in criminality will take extreme risks, risking their own lives and those of our officers and innocent road users.
“Throughout a pursuit, our experienced roads policing officers monitor and manage the risk, and take opportunities to bring the pursuit to a safe conclusion and ensure those responsible are arrested.
“As with every police response, our officers carry risk, putting their own safety on the line to protect and serve their communities. They shouldn’t be intentionally targeted to be put in fear or harm.
“The quick thinking actions of another officer ensured the officer wasn’t seriously injured and could continue their shift, but the outcome could have been very different - this will not be tolerated.”