Tourist stands trial for assault on cop, theft

dubai — A tourist, who allegedly assaulted a police officer while he tried to take him into custody, stood trial in the Court of First Instance on Wednesday.

The 29-year-old Algerian man caused the Emirati sergeant injuries after he pushed him several times and made him fall down.

The case dates back to February 13 during a confrontation between the police officer and the defendant who had just stolen a mobile phone from a shop in the Naif area. The tourist is charged with assaulting an on-duty police officer and theft.

The sergeant, 32, said he was informed by the operation room of a theft incident around 11pm. “We went to the shop and learned some men had come in and wanted to see different brands of phones. The shopkeeper discovered a phone was missing the moment they left.

“We checked the surveillance camera footage and found that one of them was examining the phone and kept it with him.”

The police officer ordered those men to stay near the police car. When he told the suspect he would take him in the police patrol car as he was suspected of stealing the phone, the latter denied the theft at first. But the accused admitted to the officer later that he had taken it after he was told his cooperation would be useful for him in the complaint. He led them to where he hid it on the top of a back tyre in a car outside the shop.

“When I tried to handcuff him and take him into custody, he became angry and refused strongly.

He pushed me several times. He took off his shirt when I grabbed him by it. When I tried to contain him and handcuff him, he pushed me hard and I fell down and hurt my right leg,” the sergeant told the prosecutor.

“However I did not let him go and kept grabbing him by his belt. He kept pushing ahead and dragging me with him. Eventually, people around restrained him and I took him with the phone to the police station”. —