Chased alcohol dealer regrets beating up Dubai cop

Later says he only refused to be handcuffed

DUBAI 12 June 2017: The smart camera of a police patrol spotted a wanted car in Al Barsha, but the driver allegedly refused to stop and attacked the officer during arrest, the Dubai Criminal Court heard.

On March 8, while Sergeant Masha’al Husain was on security police patrol duty, the camera on the car spotted a wanted vehicle.

“We asked the driver to stop but he refused to do that. We kept ordering him to stop. The chase went on Al Barsha to Al Meydan. We could stop only by maneuvering and stopping the police car in front of his car on Al Meydan Street.

The driver protested that he did not do anything wrong for the police to stop him. “I asked him to get into the police car but he refused and tried to run away. I tried to catch him but he resisted arrest for about half an hour during which he pushed me several times and made me fall on the ground,” testified the officer.

The officer asked for support and a crane to seize the accused’s car.

“I asked the motorist to take his precious items from the car. When he opened the car, the saw bottles of alcohol and wine down the front seat. There was also a big bag on the back seat. I searched the car and found other quantities of alcohol in the car’s rear boot,” testified the officer.

Forensics reported that the officer sustained scratches in the right knee and bruises in the right shoulder.

During investigations, SM, 29, Sri Lankan clerk regretted attacking the officer and refraining from obeying orders but later claimed that he did not attack the officer but only refused to be cuffed.

SM is being prosecuted for possessing 72 cans and 15 bottles of alcohol for promotional purpose and assaulting a police officer on duty.

The court will give sentence on June 21.

By Lolyana Zaki