Man charged with a number of driving offences as three police officers injured in Ballymena

Police successfully pursued the vehicle, deploying a stinger device. The Vectra then came to a stop, hitting the fence of a house on Whinsmoor Road.

A 35-year-old man has been charged with a number of motoring offences including dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking causing damage to the vehicle and driving when unfit through drink or drugs. The charges follow the report of a disturbance at a house in the Rathkeel Road area of Ballymena on November 9 and the subsequent injury of three police officers. He is expected to appear before Ballymena Magistrates Court on Saturday.

The charges come after police said a man had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder of three police officers.

Officers were responding to a disturbance at a house on Rathkeel Road at 11.30pm on Thursday when a red Vauxhall Vectra was driven at one of the officers forcing him to jump out of the way.

The driver continued for a short distance before ramming a stationary police vehicle, causing the car to hit a nearby officer and forcing another to jump out of the way. The suspect continued in his vehicle in the direction of Broughshane, losing a tyre on the way, which struck another car. Police successfully pursued the vehicle, deploying a stinger device. The Vectra then came to a stop, hitting the fence of a house on Whinsmoor Road.

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