Police officer seriously injured after being run over by suspected car thief in Birmingham

A police officer for West Midlands Police has been seriously injured after being run over by a suspected car thief in Birmingham.

He's being treated in hospital for head and pelvic injuries.

The traffic officer was in Moorcroft Road in Moseley, at 4.45pm tracing a suspected stolen Range Rover Sport which was taken just minutes earlier from a woman on a shopping trip.

He was punched to the ground as he tried to arrest the suspect who then jumped behind the wheel of the PC's patrol car. The officer was then run over by the car.

Police say they believe the man drove the marked police car for around a mile into Ladypool Road, Sparkbrook, where he abandoned the vehicle and tried to steal another car.

However, he was cornered by police back-up including armed police and Tasered.

Assistant Chief Constable Sarah Boycott, said:

A 29-year-old man, from Hall Green, has been arrested on suspicion of the attempted murder of a police officer.

A 24-year-old man has also been arrested for car theft.

Eyewitness Sohail Razaque, who saw the crash, said a police car drove past his vehicle and rammed into another vehicle.

Mr Razaque said: "There was one car ahead of me and we pulled over to let police come past, and there were lots of sirens and a police helicopter.

He added: "It all happened pretty quickly. There were about 40 police, a lot of them armed , some had Tasers, some had guns.

"He was sort of almost walking through the crowds, with the officers following - and that's where they Tasered him and took him down.

"There was about four or five officers on top of him and then about five minutes later, they had him up, and walked him past me and put him in a police car."

The force said the officer had surgery on Saturday evening, and would return to the operating theatre later on Sunday, and his condition is not life-threatening.