THORNBURY, VIC. — A protective service officer has been injured and a police member was lucky to escape physical injury during a ‘dynamic arrest’ in Thornbury on Friday night.
The members were on patrol at Northland Shopping Centre as part of Operation Pulse when they were notified of a shop theft about 7.20pm.
The two men involved were followed by police to Hannah Street, where they approached a parked vehicle which was suspected stolen.
As one of the men got into the driver’s seat, he was arrested by a female detective senior constable through the open driver’s door; however, he resisted and sped off while trying to push the member out of the vehicle.
At the same time, the PSO had opened the rear door to speak to a female in the back seat and when the male took off, he was knocked to the ground and suffered several injuries to his hand, elbow and shoulder.
The female officer’s arm was pinned, and she was unable to free herself, so she jumped on top of the male in the driver’s seat, to avoid being dragged along the road.
The 30-year-old driver continued to drive erratically along Murray Road, Albert and Mansfield streets – while the police member tried to stop the vehicle and driver – before coming to a stop following a collision with a parked car.
The man was restrained by the detective with assistance from a member of the public until further police arrived.
The Bundoora man was taken to hospital under police guard, where he remains.
Both the detective and PSO were taken to hospital for treatment.
Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
