Repeat teen offender rams police vehicle and bites officer

A 17-year-old girl subject to a good behaviour order is facing multiple charges after she allegedly drove a stolen vehicle at a police officer, rammed a police vehicle and bit an officer yesterday. This is the 27th incident of deliberate ramming of vehicles experienced by ACT Policing since July last year. 

About 3.00pm yesterday (Tuesday, 16 August 2022) ACT Policing officers responded to reports of a stolen Hyundai iX35 driving on Kingsford Smith Drive.  

Police followed the vehicle to Macgregor where officers attempted to deploy stop sticks near the stationary Hyundai.  

The driver then allegedly drove at an officer – pinning him against the door of his vehicle before colliding with a large rock in a garden and fleeing the scene.  

Soon after the Hyundai was again engaged by police in Osburn Drive, Macgregor where it rammed the rear of a police vehicle before coming to a stop.  

After a short foot pursuit, officers apprehended the teen who, during the arrest, allegedly bit one officer on the hand.   

The 17-year-old girl was charged with 11 offences including breach of a good behaviour order, two counts of ride or drive in a motor vehicle without consent, drive at police, dangerous driving, assault a frontline community service provider, fail to stop for police, damage police vehicle, obstruct a Territory official, refuse to undergo a screening test and learner driver unaccompanied. 

She is expected to appear in the ACT Children’s Court where bail will be opposed.    

The injured officer received medical treatment for minor injures not requiring hospitalisation.  

This type of behaviour sees dedicated officers off work injured and police vehicles written off. Each time that happens, there are fewer resources for ACT Policing to deploy to keep the Canberra community safe.  

ACT Policing will relentlessly target those members of the community who choose to target police and put other community members at risk with deliberate acts of aggressive and dangerous driving. 

This arrest was coordinated by a newly-established ACT Policing taskforce targeting high-risk driving behaviours and stolen vehicles which are often used in the carriage of other crimes such as burglaries and assaults.   

Media enquiries 

Police Media — (02) 5126 9070, act-police-media@afp.gov.au