Police union demands 10 years’ prison for ramming cop cars

The WA Police Union wants those who ram police cars to face a mandatory 10 years in prison, even if officers aren’t hurt.

The Western Australian Police Union (WAPU) is calling for a mandatory 10-year prison term for anyone who intentionally uses a vehicle to ram a police car.

The union’s move follows an incident in Lake Clifton, about 108km south of Perth, on January 29 in which a 38-year-old man allegedly drove his Suzuki Vitara into a marked police car.

The driver suffered serious injuries, and while both officers in the car at the time were believed to have only suffered bruising, one was later found to have a broken vertebrae in his neck.

First Class Constable Kaine Burgess following the alleged incident in Lake Clifton on January 29.

Mr Burgess was initially thought to have ‘neck strain’ but it later turned out to be a broken vertebrae.

WAPU acting president Paul Gale on Tuesday said the welfare of First Class Constable Kaine Burgess has since taken a turn for the worse.

The 34-year-old is now on sick leave, unable to drive and must wear a full-body brace for six more weeks.

“He is experiencing a lot of pain, both mental and physical, and symptoms of sleep deprivation,” said Mr Gale.

Mr Gale on Tuesday fronted WA parliament to urge politicians to “make acts of ramming a police car a specific offence attracting a mandatory term of imprisonment of three years, and 10 years if the act involves the use of a stolen car”.

Const. Burgess' police car following the Lake Clifton incident, in which his partner suffered bruising.

The WA Police Union wants those who ram police cars to face a mandatory 10 years in prison, even if officers aren’t hurt. Picture: Supplied

“On that fateful day in January, Kaine went to work as a healthy young man, and today he must live with the consequences of his injuries.”

The 38-year-old man who allegedly rammed Const. Burgess’ car was flown to hospital following the crash, and has since been charged with two counts of endangering the life, health or safety of a person.

He is next due in Perth Magistrates Court on April 11.

The WA Police Union is now calling on those who ram police cars to be slapped with a mandatory prison sentence.

Two other police officers were hospitalised on February 9 after an allegedly stolen ute was used to ram a police vehicle in the border town of Kununurra.

WA’s Opposition has also backed the call for a specific ramming offence involving cop cars to be created.

“A vehicle is a dangerous weapon, and if it is used to ram police, then the intent to do harm to those officers who are trying to protect our community is clear,” said the Opposition’s spokesman for justice Tjorn Sibma.

“If an offender uses a vehicle to deliberately ram a police car, they should be locked up.”

Originally published as Police union demands 10 years’ prison for ramming cop cars