Cambridgeshire crash police officer drove with 'increased risk'

A man was seriously injured after being hit by a police car in Cambridgeshire

A policeman who hit a suspect with his vehicle during a pursuit will need retraining, the police watchdog said.

The Cambridgeshire Constabulary officer was driving an armed response vehicle (ARV) when he tried to stop a stolen van on 25 November, 2018.

When the suspect crashed into a wall, he was hit by the ARV as he tried to get out of the van and thrown into a garden. He sustained a dislocated hip.

The watchdog said the officer had been driving in a way that "increased risk".

However, he will not face a misconduct meeting.

'No malicious intent'

The policeman had been following and trying to stop the van when he hit the suspect, who was "lifted off his feet and thrown forward".

The force referred its officer to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) as there was evidence he may have caused a serious injury by driving dangerously.

The driver told the IOPC that prior to the crash he had driven alongside the van in an attempt to keep the suspect in the vehicle.

However, specialist reports given to the IOPC "raised questions" about the manner of the pursuit and tactics used by the driver, which suggested there had been an element of "increased risk" in his driving.

It concluded there was no "malicious intent to injure" the man but the officer's actions may have amounted to misconduct.

Following the IOPC's recommendation, Cambridgeshire Constabulary said the officer would receive management action, including a meeting with the head of the force's driving school about the events that caused the crash.

Remedial refresher training, with a particular focus on risk in pursuit driving and tactics, will also need to be completed by the officer.

The force has been contacted for comment.