A police officer this morning was injured in the foot as he chased a suspect in Marsa. The suspect tried to flee from the police and drove over the policeman’s foot in the process, the police said in a statement.

The incident happened just after midnight when members of the Rapid Intervention Unit noticed a Seat Cordoba parked in Gerrejja Street, Marsa, which raised their suspicions.

As the police approached in their car, the suspect reversed at speed towards Stalel Street. At this point, two of the three officers got out of the police car while the third tried to block the road.

The suspect then drove in the direction of the police, driving over one of the officer’s feet. The injured officer continue to give chase on foot while the other one re-entered the police car, which followed the suspect’s vehicle in Serkin, Tigrija and Manwel Dimech Street, where it was noticed that he threw a package out of the car. It later resulted that it contained a suspicious substance.

The police said that the suspect eventually stopped and left the car, but resisted arrest when the officers approached. He was escorted to the Qormi police station, where he continued to threaten the officers. A search in his car yielded objects the police lifted to help them in their investigation.

The suspect, a 38-year-old of Qormi, alleged that he had been beaten up by the officers and upon the police’s insistence was taken to the Floriana health centre. But after being seen by a doctor, he failed to pass on the medical certificate to the police.

The constable who was injured received hospital treatment for slight injuries suffered.