Leeds ram raiders injure officer by smashing into police car – then hit house

The 38-year-old officer was hurt when burglars who were trying to evade capture after raiding two shops deliberately collided with her stationary vehicle on Red Hall Lane near Shadwell.

After hitting a second police car, the burglars then came off the road and crashed into the front of a house.

The injured officer was taken to hospital with bruising and whiplash. The occupants of the house were not injured.

The incident happened after police were called to investigate a ram raid at the Co-op supermarket on Langbar Road in Swarcliffe in the early hours of Saturday.

Detective Inspector Phillip Jackson, from Leeds District CID, said: “Officers conducting a nearby search came across a suspect vehicle – a dark grey coloured Ford Galaxy – outside Skelton Woods Post Office on Whitelaithe Approach where a second burglary was found to be in progress.

“The suspect vehicle, which had been reported stolen from a burglary in Leeds on Friday, drove at the police vehicle which was able to move and narrowly avoid a collision before turning to follow the suspect vehicle onto Coal Road and into Red Hall Lane.

“A second police vehicle, which was stationary on Red Hall Lane, was then deliberately rammed by the suspect vehicle disabling the vehicle and leaving the female police driver injured.”

The burglars then sped off along Red Hall Lane but then collided with the police vehicle which was pursuing it.

Det Insp Jackson added: “This contact caused the Ford Galaxy to leave the road and collide with the front wall of a house, with the vehicle coming to rest in the garden.

“The 38-year-old female police officer was taken to hospital with bruising and whiplash but later returned to complete her shift.

“The occupants, who were in the house at the time of the collision were, fortunately, uninjured.”

An 18-year-old man was arrested from at the scene on suspicion of three counts of burglary. Two other men fled on foot.

Any witnesses or anyone with information is asked to contact Stainbeck CID via 101.