Man arrested on suspicion of the attempted murder of three PSNI officers

A 35-year-old man was arrested in Ballymena
Author: Chelsie KealeyPublished 10th Nov 2023

A man has been arrested on suspicion of the attempted murder of three police officers.

A 35-year-old man was arrested in Ballymena after police responded to a disturbance at a house on the Rathkeel Road at around 11.35pm last night (Thursday).

The PSNI said a red Vauxhall Vectra was driven directly at one of the officers outside the home, forcing him to jump out of the way of the approaching vehicle.

According to the PSNI the Vectra continued for a short distance before ramming a stationary police vehicle. The force of the collision caused the police car to strike an officer nearby, forcing another officer to jump out of the way.

The suspect made off in the direction of Broughshane, losing a tyre on the way, which then struck a car travelling along the same road.

Officers pursued the suspect and deploy a stinger device. The vehicle then collided with the fence of a house on Whinsmoor Road and stopped.

The driver was arrested on several other offences including aggravated vehicle taking, criminal damage and dangerous driving.

He remains in custody and will also be questioned in connection with the reported disturbance at the Rathkeel Road property.

Chief Inspector Adrian Bryan said: “Despite being injured during the incident, all three of the officers involved remained on duty for the remainder of the night. The work police officers do to keep people safe and protect the public should never be taken for granted.”

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