Shot fired as officer struck by stolen police car

A constabulary serviceman has been earnestly injured aft helium was deed by a stolen constabulary car successful Downpatrick, County Down.

The officer, who fired his weapon during the incident, had been chasing a fishy who had fled connected ft aft different conveyance failed to halt for constabulary connected Fountain Street.

When officers returned to their car successful the Colmcille Road area, different antheral was successful the driver's spot and helium drove straight towards the officer.

The serviceman "discharged 1 circular from his firearm" according to police, but helium was stuck by the constabulary car. A 27-year-old antheral has been arrested connected suspicion of attempted murder.

"Urgent aesculapian attraction was provided astatine the country by constabulary colleagues, who were besides supported by members of the section community," said ACC Melanie Jones.

She said the serviceman was taken to infirmary by ambulance for attraction to his injuries which are believed to beryllium "serious, but thankfully not life-threatening astatine this time".

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) confirmed that the stolen constabulary car, the officer's limb and ammunition person each been taken distant for forensic examination.

"As is modular process erstwhile a constabulary firearm is drawn, the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has been informed - and their enquiries are ongoing," Jones added.

What happened successful the Downpatrick incident?

The incidental began astatine astir 04:45 BST connected Sunday aft a conveyance failed to halt for a constabulary successful the Fountain Street country of Downpatrick.

After that constabulary unit returned to their station, different PSNI colleagues aboriginal recovered the conveyance successful the Ballymote Walk country of the town.

A antheral past ran from the conveyance and officers pursued him connected ft towards the adjacent Colmcille Road.

"As officers returned to their constabulary car, idiosyncratic was successful the driver's spot - driving erratically and straight towards an officer," Jones said.

After the serviceman discharged his weapon, helium was struck by the stolen constabulary car and needed assistance from his colleagues and ambulance staff.

The fishy past abandoned the constabulary car and near the scene.

'A terrifying experience'

Jones confirmed that detectives from the PSNI's Serious Crime subdivision person launched an attempted execution investigation.

"This would person been a terrifying acquisition for the serviceman and besides his colleagues - with the wide imaginable to origin life-changing oregon adjacent fatal injuries," she said.

"Officers enactment themselves connected the beforehand enactment to assistance support radical harmless - they bash not merit to beryllium assaulted for simply doing their job, and today's incidental is simply a stark reminder of the dangers they face.

"Our thoughts are with the serviceman arsenic helium receives ongoing aesculapian attraction contiguous for his injuries successful hospital. And we volition proceed to enactment him and his family."

The PSNI appealed to anyone who has information, oregon CCTV, dash-cam oregon different footage of what happened to interaction them.

The Police Ombudsman's Office confirmed that its investigators person attended the country of the shooting, successful enactment with modular procedures.

"We person been gathering applicable information, including immoderate disposable video evidence, to measure the circumstances," said its Director of Investigations, Nikki Davis.

"Our thoughts are with the constabulary serviceman who has been injured during the incidental successful Downpatrick and their workfellow who was present," she added.