On Monday, 15 February, officers from the Independent Prevention Police Unit in Legnica, while on duty in Bolesławiec County, wanted to stop a passenger vehicle for inspection whose driver was abruptly moving toward the edge of the road. Sub-Inspector Wojciech Jabłoński of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship Police Headquarters in Wrocław:
Despite the officers’ light and sound signals, the driver did not stop and began to flee. First through the city streets: disregarding traffic lights, overtaking in prohibited places, driving onto pavements and forcing other vehicles to stop or change direction. He then entered the A4 motorway toward Wrocław, where he continued fleeing at approximately 200 km/h.
The road pirate changed lanes—without signalling!—raced down the middle of the road and prevented a police car from overtaking him. What is more, during the escape he made insulting gestures toward the intervening officers. Sub-Inspector W. Jabłoński:
He disregarded the applicable laws and created many extremely dangerous situations on the road during the escape. He committed numerous offences, causing sudden braking at high speed.
Information about the pursuit was immediately passed to other patrols and county units. Officers from the Traffic Division of the County Police Headquarters in Bolesławiec joined the operation.
Using the motorway infrastructure and the obstructions caused by another road incident that had occurred earlier near the Kostomłoty exit, the officers successfully prevented the driver from travelling any further. Seeing that he could no longer continue driving, the driver locked himself inside the vehicle and refused to get out. Spokesperson: “He still did not respond to the commands of the uniformed officers.”
The officers were forced to break a window and pull the man out by force. The driver turned out to be a 48-year-old resident of Bolesławiec County. The man was detained in police custody. A check showed that he was sober. Blood was taken from him for further testing.
But that was not the end of it. Bolesławiec police officers noticed a man who had left his vehicle and approached the scene. When one of the officers admonished him and ordered him to return to a safe place—his car—the man refused, claiming that he had the right to record. Spokesperson:
When asked again, the truck driver responded with profanity. He refused to provide his details and began grappling with the officers. Ultimately, the 60-year-old was detained for violating an officer’s bodily integrity; the officer suffered head injuries as a result of the attack.
The officers are currently clarifying all the circumstances of the case and analysing the secured evidence. Bolesławiec County Police Headquarters:
Let us recall that anyone who, despite an order from a person authorised to control road traffic to stop a motor vehicle, fails to stop immediately and continues driving is liable to up to five years’ imprisonment. Meanwhile, violating the bodily integrity of an officer during or in connection with the performance of official duties carries a penalty of up to three years’ imprisonment.