A traffic officer who was run over while trying to stop a suspected car theft is facing a long battle to recover, his family have said.
PC Gareth Phillips, 42, underwent surgery over the weekend and remains in intensive care, but according to West Midlands police his condition is stable.
Phillips was injured on Saturday at a traffic stop in Moorcroft Road, Birmingham, at about 4.45pm after a police car had been hijacked. He was struck by the BMW vehicle and at one point was pinned beneath it.
His family said: “We are grateful for all the messages of support that we’ve had from the police and members of the public. Gareth is still very poorly and faces a long battle to recover. What happened on Saturday demonstrates the dangers that officers face every day.”
Mubashar Hussain, 29, appeared at Birmingham magistrates court on Monday charged with attempted murder and 12 other offences. He spoke only to confirm his name, age and address.
Hussain, from Hall Green, Birmingham, is alleged to have caused serious injury by dangerous driving, dangerous driving on the city’s A41 Warwick Road, and wounding another police officer who suffered a cut arm.
He is accused of taking the police BMW without the owner’s consent and driving it without a licence. The list of alleged offences also includes four counts of assaulting other constables, driving while disqualified and the alleged theft of two Range Rovers. He was arrested in the Sparkbrook area of the city.
Hussain appeared alongside Ahsan Ghafoor, 24, from Sparkhill. Ghafoor is accused of taking both Range Rovers, dangerous driving, and driving the one of the stolen vehicles without a licence or insurance.
Shazad Imam, the prosecutor, said the case should be sent to Birmingham crown court.
After hearing the case, deputy district judge David Murray agreed and scheduled an appearance for 9 September.
There was no application for bail.