A man will face court today charged following a pursuit and crash, and subsequent alleged assault of police in the state’s Riverina region.
About 8.40pm on Friday (8 April 2022), officers attached to Riverina Police District were patrolling the Tumut township, when they attempted to stop a Holden Senator which was being driven erratically.
When the Holden failed to stop, a police pursuit was initiated, continuing through local streets before the sedan collided head-on with a Toyota Hilux utility.
The Holden driver – a 35-year-old man – ran from the vehicle, with officers chasing him on foot.
While attempting to arrest the man, he allegedly pulled a knife from his pocket and pressed it into the neck of an officer causing puncture wounds.
OC spray was deployed, and officers disarmed the man. He again attempted to flee and was detained with the assistance of further police before being taken to Wagga Wagga Base Hospital under police guard.
The male senior constable also sustained a laceration to his finger while disarming the man. He was treated by paramedics and received stitches.
The Toyota driver was also taken to Wagga Wagga Base Hospital for treatment.
Following inquiries, police executed a search warrant at a hotel on Merivale Street, Tumut, yesterday (Sunday 10 April 2022), where officers seized a small quantity of prohibited drugs and items believed to have been stolen.
The 35-year-old man has since been charged with 17 offences, including:
- Police pursuit – not stop – drive recklessly,
- Drive recklessly/furiously or speed/manner dangerous,
- Drive furiously in motor vehicle do/cause bodily harm,
- Fail to stop and assist after impact cause injury,
- Resist officer in execution of duty (x4),
- Assault police officer in execution of duty without actual bodily harm,
- Custody of knife in public place,
- Wound person with intent to resist/prevent arrest etc – serious indictable offence,
- Wound police officer executing duty reckless as to actual bodily harm – serious indictable offence (x2),
- Stalk/intimidate intend fear physical etc harm,
- Assault police officer in execution of duty cause actual bodily harm, and,
- Assault police officer in execution of duty without actual bodily harm (x2)
The Tumut man was refused bail to appear in Wagga Wagga Local Court today (Monday 11 April 2022).
