Man arrested in Palencia after dangerous car chase: driving in wrong direction, on pavements and hitting an officer
A man has been arrested in Palencia following a nighttime pursuit in which he drove in the wrong direction, drove onto pavements and struck a police officer, who sustained minor injuries.
Man arrested in Palencia after dangerous car chase: driving in wrong direction, on pavements and hitting an officer
A man has been arrested in Palencia after staging a high-risk urban pursuit in the early hours of Tuesday. The arrested man, 32 years old, faces charges of reckless driving, assaulting an officer and serious disobedience.
According to ABC, the incident began at around 2:20 am when residents alerted the 091 emergency services about a car circulating erratically and dangerously through the centre of the provincial capital. Several National Police patrols located the vehicle in the vicinity of Paseo del Otero.
When officers attempted to identify the driver, he suddenly accelerated and hit one of the police officers, who had to dodge the blow. A pursuit then began through multiple streets in the urban centre, during which the fugitive ignored signals from the police cars.
The man drove in the opposite direction to that permitted, crossed red traffic lights, used pavements to avoid his pursuers and forced pedestrians and other motorists to make evasive manoeuvres to avoid collisions. The situation created a severe risk to road safety.
Finally, officers managed to block the car. The arrestee actively resisted arrest, so the officers had to use the minimum necessary force to restrain him. In a subsequent search, several bladed weapons and a narcotic substance were seized from him.
One officer was injured with minor grazes and bruising. The arrestee was taken to police facilities and subsequently to a healthcare centre for medical examination.
Source: ABC