A PSNI officer was struck by a stolen police vehicle in Downpatrick, County Down, on Sunday morning, and police have launched an attempted murder investigation after a 27-year-old man was arrested.
The incident happened at 4.45am, when officers were following up on another vehicle that had failed to stop in the Fountain Street area. Police said the officer had chased a suspect on foot, and when officers returned to their car they found a man in the driver’s seat. The vehicle then drove directly towards the officer, who was hit and taken to hospital with injuries believed to be serious but not life-threatening.
The sequence unfolded in a matter of minutes and left one officer badly hurt while colleagues tried to bring the scene under control. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said the officer discharged one round from his firearm during the incident. Melanie Jones said urgent medical treatment was given at the scene by police colleagues, who were also supported by members of the local community, and added that the officer’s family were being supported as he received ongoing treatment in hospital.
That detail matters because it shows how fast the confrontation escalated. The officer fired once, but the stolen police vehicle still struck him. Police later said the police ombudsman for Northern Ireland had been informed because a police firearm had been drawn, and the stolen car, the officer’s weapon and ammunition were taken away for forensic examination. Those steps point to an inquiry that is already moving beyond the street corner in Downpatrick and into evidence collection.
Jones said officers “put themselves on the frontline” and should not be assaulted for doing their job, calling the incident a stark reminder of the dangers they face. She said detectives from the serious crime branch had launched an attempted murder investigation and that inquiries were continuing at pace. The 27-year-old man remains in custody, and investigators will now have to establish not only how the suspect got into the police car, but what led a routine stop to turn into an alleged attempt to kill a serving officer.
