A former reality TV star is accused of injuring a police officer in an alleged hit-and-run in Auckland on Wednesday night - and it has reignited concerns about the safety of officers on the front line.
The officer was laying road spikes when he was struck by a vehicle allegedly driven by the accused, who was granted interim name suppression on Thursday.
On Wednesday night, the officer was allegedly hit by a fleeing driver just outside Rainbow's End theme park in south Auckland.
An hour-long police pursuit followed and the driver was eventually detained 18 kilometres away in the central suburb of Newmarket.
It all kicked off at about 7:30pm on Wednesday night when police began tracking an allegedly stolen vehicle. Around 30 minutes later, an officer deployed road spikes on the corner of Manukau Station Road and Osterley Way.
Police said that's when the officer was struck by the vehicle.
A 37-year-old former reality TV star appeared at the Manukau District Court but was given interim name suppression.
He's facing three charges including vehicle theft and intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
The officer remains in Middlemore Hospital and is in a critical but stable condition.
National MP Mark Mitchell, who is a former police officer, understood the trauma of the event.
"Both my dog and I were stabbed with a sword."
But Mitchell said policing has become even more dangerous.
"We've seen a disturbing trend in the last two or three years where these offenders, who feel like they can operate with impunity, are actually driving that and targeting police officers."
The concerns were echoed by the Police Association.
"The reality of policing today is that our members go to work with the expectation they will be assaulted," NZ Police Association vice president Grant Gerkin said.
The accused will appear in court again on November 28.
