Police officer trapped in car with fleeing driver

A police officer who tried to stop a fleeing driver ended up stuck in the car with the offender - allegedly being hit - until they crashed.

An 18-year-old from Rotorua has been arrested after the Saturday night incident that began on Hamilton’s Norton Rd, police said.

The officer has facial injuries and will be off work for a week.

It was about 9.35pm when he spotted someone returning to a vehicle waiting to be towed, as it was wanted in relation to a fleeing driver incident in Rotorua.

He opened the front passenger door to stop them but the vehicle began rolling.

The officer “made the split-second decision to get in the vehicle” to avoid being run over or pinned, Waikato District commander superintendent Bruce Bird said in a statement.

The car hit a stationary patrol car and fled with the officer inside.

He used “tactical options, including a Taser” to try to stop the driver, and was allegedly hit in the head multiple times, Bird said.

When the car crashed on Lincoln St, the driver fled on foot. While the injured officer was given first aid, police, a dog unit and the Eagle helicopter tracked the suspect.

A man was found hiding up a tree about half an hour later and was taken into custody.

A Forest Lake Rd resident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said they heard many police sirens.

They saw about seven or eight police officers climbing up the fence by the bridge on Forest Lake Rd.

“We heard a bang and then the police sirens like slowed down.

“Probably about 10.20pm, we saw the police dog come out of Forest Lake Rd.

“I was running out of breath watching them.” The officer who was in the car suffered moderate injuries to their face but had since been discharged from Waikato Hospital, police said.

He is being supported as he recovers and will have the next week off work.

“It’s gravely concerning to see a police officer injured while carrying out their duties and incidents like this demonstrate the unpredictable and dangerous situations Police face, often with little or no warning,” the statement read.