A police officer is facing potentially life-changing injuries after he was run over by a suspected car thief in Birmingham.

The married 42-year-old traffic officer suffered a broken pelvis and head, abdominal and other internal injuries when he was hit by his own patrol car as a suspected car thief was at the wheel.

He will return to the operating theatre on Sunday, after the incident on Saturday afternoon.

The West Midlands traffic officer was on Moorcroft Road in Moseley at 4.45pm on 10 August having traced a suspected stolen Range Rover Sport, taken minutes earlier from a woman on a shopping trip.

Image: Officers detain a man in Moseley. Pic: @imjustbrum

As he moved to arrest the man, he was assaulted and punched to the ground.


The suspect then ran him over, having jumped behind the wheel of the officer's patrol car.

It is understood the man drove the marked police car for about a mile to Ladypool Road, in the Sparkbrook area of the city, where he abandoned it and tried to steal another car.

He was cornered by police backup who tasered him before making the arrest.

Image: The man was detained about a mile away from where the officer was run over. Pic: @ShafronAli

The officer's injuries are not life-threatening, West Midlands Police confirmed.

"He's due to return to theatre later today [Sunday]. We don't know his long-term prognosis at this stage and our best wishes remain with him and his family at this difficult time," they added in a tweet.

Police say the suspect has so far refused to provide any personal details but has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

Superintendant Tom Joyce said the officers in the force are in shock, and added that the culprit can expect to face "the full weight of the judicial system".

He said: "Without going into great detail, we know that he [the officer] suffered a broken pelvis and some other internal injuries as a result of the incident.

"It's difficult to give a prognosis at the moment. They are certainly potentially life-changing - but we are relieved to say, we understand they are not believed to be life-threatening.

"His wife is aware of the incident and is with him at this time."

The officer has been with West Midlands Police for 17 years, and worked as a traffic officer for the last 12 of those, and Supt Joyce said his father had also been a police officer.

Image: The man attempted to dump the car about a mile away

He added: "These incidents fortunately don't happen every day and they are not incredibly common - but when they do happen they are very sobering because it reminds everyone just how dangerous the profession of policing can be.

"It is often said that the danger people run away from, officers have to run towards and certainly on this occasion, officers were met with an extremely violent individual who has caused very significant injuries.

"I think those who know the officer know he has invested his entire career in trying to tackle car thieves, burglars, and those sort of offenders who cause the most harm to our society.

"He was doing what he has done diligently for many, many years now."

Home Secretary Priti Patel tweeted: "I am appalled by the sickening attack on one of our brave police officers @WMPolice.

"My thoughts are with the officer & his family. I wish him a good recovery & I am being kept informed of the situation following this attack."

Image: An officer suffered injuries to his head and pelvis

Sohail Razaque, a manager at BMV Solicitors, said he was driving to the junction of Ladypool Road when he saw a police car go past him, with sirens on, and crash into another car.

He said: "There was one car ahead of me and we pulled over to let police come past, and there were lots of sirens and a police helicopter.

"The police car went past got into the junction and then hit another car and skidded, and it turned round and went back a few dozen metres.

"There was some confusion up ahead then, and I stayed in the car.

"But while we were stopped I saw a man in a white shirt and red trousers, and he was trying to get into what looked like a white Nissan car.

"He half got in it, then got back out again and then he tried to get through some metal shutters that looked like it was a shop at the roadside.

"By then the police were already following him trying to get him to stop, shouting at him to get down."