A POLICE officer who was dragged along the road by a car driven by a suspected offender has been left “unable to work” for several weeks.
The officer stopped a car in the Beltany Road area of Omagh at around 11pm on June 22.
When he attempted to breathalyse the driver he sped off, dragging the officer with him.
“The officer stopped a vehicle on the Beltany Road shortly after 11pm,” PSNI Chief Inspector Graham Dodds said.
“Believing the driver may be under the influence, they prepared to conduct a preliminary breath test (PBT) however when informed of this, the driver took off at speed dragging the police officer along with his vehicle for several meters before the officer was able to free himself,” Chf Insp Dodds explained.
“The driver continued to flee the scene.”
Both the driver and vehicle were later located in Kesh, where the car had run out of fuel.
The driver, a 24-year-old man, was arrested on suspicion of offences including driving with excess alcohol, dangerous driving and assault on police.
The officer sustained multiple fractures to his foot in the incident, along with cuts and bruises.
He will now “be unable to work for several weeks whilst they heal and recover”, the PSNI confirmed in a statement.
“This was a very dangerous situation which could have had a much, much more dire outcome,” Chf Insp Dodds said.
“Police officers do not go to work expecting to be injured or attacked. No one should,” he added.
“I would ask the member of the public who stopped at the scene to offer assistance to the injured officer at the time to please get in touch with us as we would very much like to speak with you.”