Three police officers have been injured and a police car damaged during an incident in Jonesborough, South Armagh, on Friday afternoon (5 March).
As Police and HMRC officials conducted a joint enforcement operation on a commercial site on Edenappa Road just after midday, a 57-year-old male was arrested on suspicion of several offences, including obstruction and fraudulent evasion of duty on fuel.
During the operation, a Scania HGV tipper lorry deliberately and repeatedly rammed a PSNI vehicle as those in the lorry attempted to flee the area.
Three police officers were injured; two were treated at the scene whilst the third officer was taken to hospital.
The police car has been significantly damaged.
Superintendent Norman Haslett said:
“This was an appalling, reckless, dangerous and completely cowardly act.
“Using a heavy goods vehicle as a weapon, could easily have caused catastrophic injury or worse.
“These were local officers from a Neighbourhood Policing Team were carrying out their duty to keep communities safe from organised criminality.
“An investigation into this incident is now underway and we are liaising with our An Garda Siochana colleagues.
“We are particularly interested in locating the vehicle and the driver which rammed the Police car.
“It was displaying the number plate LD08POP and crossed into the Republic of Ireland and will be bearing damage to the front driver’s side.
“We are appealing to anyone with information about this incident to contact us on 101 quoting reference number 754 of 5/03/21.
“A report can also be made using the online reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport. Alternatively, information can be provided to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.”
Stay up-to-date with more news from the front line by subscribing to our free newsletter. Subscribe by clicking HERE (you do not have to serve in the emergency services to subscribe).
If you have the Google News app on your phone, don’t forget to follow ‘Emergency Services News’.
Got a story? Send your videos and pictures to contact@emergency-services.news You can also find us on Twitter @ES_News_
You can now listen to our articles as podcasts on Spotify:
Before you go...
We need your help. As former emergency services & armed forces personnel, we pride ourselves on bringing you important, fast-moving and breaking news stories & videos which are free from the negative bias which is often directed at the emergency services & NHS by some sections of the mainstream media.
One of the reasons we started 'Emergency Services News' back in 2018 was because we became tired of reading badly informed stories about the emergency services & NHS which seemed only ever to highlight negative aspects of the job.
We want to be the unheard voice of the remarkable men and women who serve in the emergency services, NHS and armed forces. And with around 500k page views each month, we are getting there!
As income from ads, the mainstay source of income for most publishers, continues to decline; we need the help of you, our readers.
You can support emergency services news from as little as £1. It only takes a minute. Every contribution, however big or small, is vital for our future.
Please help us to continue to highlight the life-saving work of the emergency services, NHS and armed forces by becoming a supporter.
