Premier ‘disgusted’ after officer badly injured by ute
The WA premier has expressed his disgust after a police officer was critically injured while attempting to speak to a driver.
WA Police say a male officer was trying to talk to a Stoneville man in his ute on Friday afternoon in Belmont in Perth’s east.
The driver is alleged to have accelerated away with the officer struck by the vehicle and taken to Royal Perth Hospital.
Police said he remains there in a stable condition with critical injuries.
“I am disgusted by this particular act,” Premier Roger Cook told reporters on Saturday during a visit to the Perth Royal Show.
“It’s simply not acceptable that anyone should seek to cause violence against one of our serving police officers.”
Later on Friday, the same vehicle was involved in a crash near the intersection of Clayton St and Roe Highway in Bellevue, police said.
A 37-year-old-man was charged on Saturday with reckless driving and dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm in circumstances of aggravation.
He was also charged with failing to report an incident occasioning death or grievous bodily harm, as well as failing to stop and ensure assistance was received after an incident occasioning grievous bodily harm.
Mr Cook said he understood the incident was “unrelated to any organised crime activity”.
“It is simply a matter of an officer trying to execute an arrest,” he said. “The perpetrator, in this case, used the vehicle to harm that officer … and we wish him all the very best in his recovery.”
The Stoneville man was due to appear in Perth Magistrates Court on Saturday.
#Premier #disgusted #officer #badly #injured #ute