A police officer remains in a serious condition in hospital after being knocked down in an alleged hit-and-run incident linked to the theft of ATM machine.
The man was badly injured after he was struck by a lorry being driven at speed in South Armagh at about 1.30pm on Friday. He sustained head injuries as he tried to stop the vehicle crossing the border into the Irish Republic near Cullyhanna.
The officer and colleagues from the Police Service of Northern Ireland were in the area investigating the theft of an ATM that was ripped from the wall of a petrol station outside Newry earlier on Friday.
The cashpoint was stolen by thieves using a mechanical digger that partially destroyed the station during the robbery.
In a follow-up operation using a PSNI helicopter, police spotted a low-loader lorry being driven towards the border. Police said the vehicle had knocked the officer down while he was on foot.
After the incident, the PSNI helicopter landed nearby and the injured officer was flown to a hospital in Belfast for emergency treatment.
PSNI Supt Simon Walls said: “The constable is still undergoing medical assessment, however we understand that while his injuries are serious, at this stage, they are not thought to be life threatening.
“I am sure the local community in South Armagh will join us in condemning this callous incident and in wishing him a speedy and complete recovery. From the accounts of those at the scene, this appears to have been a deliberate act and as such we will be treating this incident as the attempted murder of a police officer.
“We are keen to locate the driver and the lorry involved, described as low loader with a white cab, a yellow bumper, a red low loader body and carrying a white or silver vehicle.”
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