Police officer taken to hospital after rocks hurled at patrol car

A POLICE officer was taken to hospital with fragments of glass in his eye after two men hurled rocks at a patrol car  near Warrington – shattering the windscreen
The incident happened near the intersection of the M6 and the M62 (Junctions 8/7) in the early hours of today.
Cheshire Police are appealing for witnesses of the incident.
At 3.25am a police patrol car, with two officers in it, was traveling northbound along the M6 when they came across a blue BMW that caught their attention.
As they crossed onto the M62 they put their emergency lights on to pull the car over.
The car eventually pulled onto the hard shoulder and as the officers drew up behind, two men got out of the rear of the car. They began hurling rocks at the patrol car windscreen causing it to shatter.
The officers reversed to escape the rocks and the men drove off at speed. The officers attempted to follow but the windscreen was too badly damaged.
One officer was taken to hospital to be assessed after glass had gone into his eye. He has since been discharged.
One of the offenders is described as 5ft 10ins tall and of slim build. He had dark coloured short hair with a scruffy short beard. He is possibly in his 20s. He was wearing a dark coloured jacket and a sleeveless hi vis vest.
Det Chief Insp Paul Beauchamp said: “Officers going about their daily tour of duty protecting the community should not have to face this type of attack.
“Obviously officers face risk on a daily basis but this was unfathomable. The men already had the rocks in their hands as they got out of their car suggesting this was their intention from the outset.
“We want to make sure that this never happens again and that those protecting you are not stopped from doing their vital work within the community, so if you have any information please contact police.”
Anyone with information should contact Cheshire Police on 101 quoting incident number 70 of January 15. Alternatively information can be given anonymously by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.