A police officer was punched in the face as he chased a fleeing burglar on Sunday morning in Hamilton East. Photo / File
A police officer is recovering at home after he was punched in the face by a man trying to flee police at about 1.30am on Sunday in Hamilton.
The officer was running after a man in a group of about five people who had earlier broken into and stolen property
from four cars on Watts Cres in Hamilton East.
A patrol car spotted the car leaving the area and started a pursuit towards Enderley when the driver failed to pull over, a police spokesman said.
During the chase, the thieves started throwing the stolen objects including a spade at the car and eventually pulled over on Tennyson St in Enderley.
The driver was caught but the other occupants fled.
