Hurt cop ‘knew suspect’
Officer thrown over bonnet in drive-off
A POLICE officer is likely to stay on light duties for three months after being injured during a terrifying alleged petrol drive-off overnight.
The man’s injuries were so bad he was hospitalised with a fractured shoulder and a myriad of other injuries.
About 11.20pm, a man allegedly drove a silver Toyota Aurion with no number plate on the front and a stolen Queensland registered number plate on the rear, to the United petrol station on Frank St in Labrador.
In CCTV footage provided to police, a man can be seen stumbling out of the car after parking too close to the bowser, before filling up.
The man allegedly filled the car with $85 worth of petrol before attempting to drive away.
A United attendant exited the store and tried to stop him by talking through the passenger window.
However the man continued to drive to the exit, where a passing police car noticed the commotion and they parked in front of the car.
Acting Senior Sergeant Steve Thomas said: “Police went to approach the driver’s window and attempted to remove the keys from the car,” he said.
“The offender drove at speed and hit the police officer, who was thrown over the bonnet of the police car.”
The man then allegedly reversed, appearing to almost hit another person before driving away from the petrol station, west along Robert St.
The Toyota was later found by police officers about 2km away at a house at Corrine Ave in Southport.
It is understood the car collided with another vehicle parked on a driveway and pushed a boat into the garage of a home.
Sergeant Thomas said the “police dog squad was at the Corrine Ave home promptly” and searched for the alleged offender.
The police officer who was injured, 28, was hospitalised after being assessed by paramedics at the scene. The incident left him with a fractured left shoulder, lacerated right thumb, a knee injury, soft tissue damage as well as cuts and bruises to his legs and the side of his body.
The officer is understood to be recovering with his wife at home after treatment.
It is understood he will need to be on “light duties” for the next three months or until recovered.
A description of the alleged offender was not provided to media, with Sergeant Thomas saying police were confident they knew his identity.
“We have CCTV from the service station, and ironically the male officer who was injured had dealt with the offender before,” Sgt Thomas said.
If you have any information contact Policelink on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. PAUL WESTON
TOURISM Minister Kate Jones is calling on the LNP to rule out preselecting a Gold Coast barrister to replace Currumbin MP Jann Stuckey, who will retire at the next poll.
Ms Stuckey is declining to speculate on who she will endorse to be her successor, but insiders suggest she favours lawyer Chris Crawford.
Labor has seized on a Bond University paper in which Mr Crawford supported Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen’s tough stand on civil rights and concluded the electoral zoning system known as the gerrymander was “a lot fairer than the government’s opponents maintained”.
Ms Jones was stunned after reading that Mr Crawford defended the then Premier declaring a state of emergency to avoid protests at a Springboks rugby game in Brisbane at the height of the apartheid regime.
“Reading the law review, it’s like this bloke stepped right out of the 1970s. These extremist views have no place in our society today,” she said.
“What kind of message does this send to tourists? This industry is the backbone of the Gold Coast economy.”
When asked if Mr Crawford was her preference, Ms Stuckey replied: “I don’t have those conversations with anyone.”