Police officer in 'serious' condition after Walsall hit-and-run

A police officer knocked down by a hit-and-run driver in Walsall remains in a serious condition in hospital.

The victim was the latest of a number of West Midlands Police officers to be injured in 36 hours.

Police around Midlands have condemned those behind the violence directed to officers.

They are renewing efforts to trace the driver of the car who ran into the female cop on Thursday morning.

The officer was struck as she responded to a domestic row in Hatherton Street in the town centre at around 9am.

The 50-year-old – who works with the force’s Safer Travel team tackling crime on public transport – suffered a serious head injury, broken ribs and a punctured lung.

Police today said she was in a ‘serious but stable’ condition.

No-one has yet been arrested but investigations were ongoing. The car was later recovered in Bloxwich.

The officer was one of a number of officers injured across the Midlands in one day.

Meanwhile, one officer based at Brierley Hill station was bitten and punched in face while dealing with a domestic disturbance on Wednesday.

The Pc has had to attend hospital and was given tests.

Another officer, an off-duty cop from West Mercia Police, was attacked by a hooded thug during what is believed to be a failed car jacking attempt in Great Barr.

Firearms officers were sent to Cradley Heath in the early hours of Wednesday, following reports of a car being driven erratically.

West Midlands Police said: "Officers spotted a grey Audi being driven erratically in the Gornal area at around 2.20am on Wednesday.

"At one stage it ran a red light and refused to stop for officers.

"Two armed response vehicles pulled the car over shortly afterwards in Cradley Road but, when an officer approached the car, it was allegedly reversed into the Pc.

"He suffered a broken ankle and two colleagues were also hurt when the Audi rammed their vehicles.

"A 22-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving, dangerous driving, wounding and car theft.

"A 29-year-old woman, a passenger in the car, was also arrested on suspicion of taking a vehicle without authority."

They have been released under investigation to allow officers more time to gather evidence.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday night, another police officer suffered significant injuries after his patrol car was again rammed.

Police said his car was rammed by a van as he pursued a suspected shop robber in Stechford, Birmingham, on Thursday.

The van driver is understood to have reversed into the patrol car, shunting it several times, in Giles Close, just after midnight before driving off.

He was chased down by the cops and arrested on suspicion of attempted burglary at a nearby shop.

A 22-year-old man from Yardley was questioned and has been released while inquiries continue

The officer who was hurt suffered minor injuries; he has since been discharged from hospital to recover at home.

The Force Response Twitter account posted: "All in a few days. Police vehicle rammed by burglars. Officer snaps ankle after vehicle rammed by stolen vehicle. Off duty officer stabbed in attempted car jacking. Officer ran over after dealing with domestic. #CutsHaveConsequences #ThoughtsWithColleagues"

In a tweet, the chairman of West Midlands Police Federation told of his ‘disgust’ at the attacks.

Richard Cooke wrote: “Totally disgusted by the violence directed towards our officers over the last 24 hours.

“Our bobbies have been punched, bitten, had a leg broken, been deliberately rammed by a car thief and finally run over and left for dead.”

West Midlands Police Assistant Chief Constable Chris Johnson, said: “These incidents highlight once again the dangers our brave officers face every day…they put themselves in harm’s way to deal with dangerous situations.

“The very nature of the job means officers go into challenging situations and acknowledge the risks they face. Despite this, officers put themselves on the front line protecting our communities from harm.”

He added: “Most people’s reaction would be to run away from a dangerous situation but our officers do exactly the opposite in order to protect the public. People recognise that and it’s heart-warming to read so many comments from people wishing our injured colleagues quick recoveries and passing on their gratitude.

“I’d echo those best wishes and praise not just their bravery, but that of all our officers who from shift to shift never know exactly what they’ll come up against.”