Drugs suspect drove at police officer as he fled

A SUSPECTED drug dealer drove at a police officer, rammed a police car then tried to get away in his friend’s vehicle - but was found in a petrol station minutes later.

Police tried to stop the driver after they saw him involved in what appeared to be a drug deal on a back street in Rochdale on Saturday.

But he didn’t stop and deliberately drove his car at a police officer while trying to flee the scene.

The officer narrowly avoided injury due to his quick reactions, police said.

The driver then rammed into an unmarked police car, before running from the scene and jumping into his friend’s getaway car.

The getaway vehicle was found in a petrol station just minutes later after stopping to refuel.

The driver who rammed the police car was found hiding in the getaway car.

A police search then revealed he was in possession of almost 200 wraps of class A drugs, suspected to be crack cocaine and heroin.

Officers also found a large amount of cash and other drug related paraphernalia.

The man was arrested on suspicion of attempted section 18 assault against a police officer, possession with intent to supply a class A drug, no driving licence and no insurance.

The getaway driver was reported for driving with no insurance.

Both of their cars were seized.

Pictures posted on the GMP Rochdale Facebook page show the damaged police car with scratches on the front of the vehicle.

Police also posted pictures showing dozens of wraps of drugs and a large quantity of cash.

Alongside the pictures, an officer wrote: “A car is a two ton killing machine in the wrong hands and under the influence of drugs.

“This is the kind of risk our officers put themselves in on an almost daily basis to protect the public from harm and bring dangerous offenders to justice, your specialist operations safer roads policing teams will continue to take these people off the roads through all means at our disposal.

“Quite rightly so, we will be throwing the book at this one!”