Brit arrested after high-speed chase and slapped by Spanish police officer
A Guardia Civil officer slapped a Brit during his arrest following a six mile police chase near Benidorm
A British man was arrested near Benidorm after a high-speed police chase ended with a dramatic confrontation that saw a Guardia Civil officer slap him as he was taken into custody.The 49-year-old, whose name has not yet been released, was reportedly driving under the influence of drugs when he headed the wrong way up the A7 motorway. Officers from several police forces were involved in the pursuit, which lasted more than six miles and ended in the Costa Blanca town of Alcoy.
Footage shared online shows the red Honda Civic weaving through traffic, veering onto the wrong side of the road and racing through built-up areas. The chase ended when the car crashed into several parked vehicles in Alcoy’s town centre.
A video of the arrest shows the British man on the ground with his T-shirt pulled up around his neck. He appears to be protesting as officers restrain him and bundle him into a patrol car. A Guardia Civil officer is seen slapping him on the head and telling him to be quiet.
In the background, bystanders can be heard shouting at police, including calls to “cover his head up and kill him,” and one woman shouting “son of a b**ch.” Another local watching the incident remarked, “This one is going to sleep in a warm place tonight.”
It later emerged that a female Guardia Civil officer may have been injured during the arrest, with her colleague heard calling for help in a newly surfaced clip.
The incident began at around 6pm on Sunday, when the Guardia Civil were alerted to a car travelling the wrong way on the A7 towards Valencia. Officers from the National Police and local town hall forces also joined efforts to stop the vehicle.
Miraculously, no one was hurt in the chase. “Luckily no one was injured and the damage was just material damage to cars that were hit,” said Alcoy Town Hall’s Security Councillor, Raul Llopis.
The Guardia Civil are preparing a report for a local court. At the time of writing, it is not clear whether the man has appeared before a judge or whether he will be kept in custody or released on bail.
It is also not yet known whether the man was a local resident or visiting the area, or whether he owned the vehicle involved in the chase.
Image: Archive
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