Copyright northernirelandworld
The two incidents have been described as an “unacceptable” attack on officers “working to keep their community safe”. As a result, two officers were injured and both vehicles are now off the road for repairs. The first incident took place in the Beechview area of Cookstown at 7.50pm on Friday night when officers on patrol signalled for a black Mercedes B class to stop. "The vehicle attempted a reversing manoeuvre before turning and driving straight at police, mounting a kerb and colliding with the police vehicle before making off from the scene,” a PSNI spokesperson said. "Two officers suffered injuries as a result of this collision and are now off duty.” Then at around 1.55am on Saturday, police on patrol in Jonesborough observed a van exiting a car park. It then began reversing back into the car park. "When police approached the van, it drove forward colliding with the police vehicle, it then collided with a pillar a short distance away,” the police spokesperson said. "Officers then arrested the driver on suspicion of a number of offences, he remains in police custody.” Newry Mourne and Down Inspector Alastair Macdonald said: “These vehicles were, in effect, used as weapons against our officers. It is unacceptable that those working to keep their community safe should be targeted in this way. "The police vehicles sustained damage and will now be off the road for repairs, which impacts on the local community. "Those responsible should expect to be brought before the courts to face the consequences of their actions. "Thankfully both officers in the vehicle were not seriously injured, our priority is their safety and welfare and, as an organisation, we will ensure support is available where it’s needed. "Our investigation is underway and anyone with information, including dashcam or other footage, is asked to contact us on 101, quoting reference 142 of 27/09/25."
