A police officer was injured in the Brussels municipality of Molenbeek last Saturday after a police chase with an 18-year-old suspect riding a 50cc moped, SudPresse reports. The officer was struck by the vehicle while attempting to flee on the pavement and has since been detained and charged.
The suspect was fleeing the police following a traffic offence around the roundabout at the intersection of Place des Étangs Noirs, Chaussée de Gand, and Rue Piers, circling the roundabout at speed.
A police patrol attempted to stop the driver, who attempted to flee the scene, initiating a police pursuit. “When the driver saw the patrol, he fled. Police officers chased the moped and gave verbal orders to the driver to stop. The driver continued on his way, committing numerous traffic violations,” a police spokesperson said.
The driver was finally intercepted at the Quai du Hainaut and fled with the moped onto the pavement toward Rue Ninove. A police officer attempted to intercept the moped rider, but the driver did not slow down, knocking over the officer and crashing his vehicle. The suspect was then promptly arrested.
According to police, the moped was neither registered or insured, and suspected stolen.
Related News
The injured officer was transported to the hospital and was declared unfit to work for a week.
Spokeswoman for the Brussels Public Prosecutor’s Office, Willemien Baert, confirmed that an investigation into the offence was now underway.
The suspect's mother has a different account of the story, launching an appeal on social media. She claims that police officers had physically beaten him at the Molenbeek police station before being transferred to the Brussels Public Prosecutor. She says that she intends to file a complaint for police brutality.
The suspect’s mother also says that the fleeing suspect had not intended to strike the officer. “My son did not run into this policeman, he did not manage to break and I have witnesses to prove it,” she claimed.
