Dramatic footage shows a driver deliberately reversing a stolen Land Rover into a Metropolitan Police car in north London.
Constables Angel De Melo and Rishav Neupane described the windscreen crushing as tyres rolled over their rammed vehicle’s bonnet and being showered by glass shards.
The SUV then flipped onto its side in Somerton Street, Cricklewood.
PC De Melo said: “In that moment I thought - this is it.”
The officers had tried to stop the two-tonne Defender after it triggered an alert on January 24.
They were on patrol in the area when they saw a vehicle matching the reported description pass in front of them in Barnet.
PCs De Melo and Neupane began to follow and observe the SUV, making checks on police systems as they did so.
Without any warning when it turned into residential street, the driver stopped but reversed at speed into the officers’ now stationary vehicle behind.
The Defender mounted the front of the police car, driving up over the bonnet, destroying the windscreen, before going up onto the roof and flipping onto its nearside.
Remarkably, PCs De Melo and Neupane were not seriously injured.
Without hesitation, they left their vehicle, challenged the driver who fled on foot.
The pair stopped and arrested him after a brief chase.
PC De Melo, in the front passenger seat, said: “Everything happened so quickly but in those kind of incidents, it feels like time slows down.
“The wheel was directly in line with my face. I remember seeing it come towards us and I braced for it to ram us.
“But then it didn’t stop. I remember feeling a mist of shattered glass all over me.
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PC Rishav Neupane, the driver, added: “I’ve been rammed before but nothing like this.
“I can remember the sound of the windscreen crushing, the tyres rolling over it and the windscreen starting to collapse. That sticks in my mind.
“I thought Angel was going to be crushed.”
Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah, in charge of policing in Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea, said: “The actions of these officers highlight policing at its very best: teamwork, resilience, and bravery in the face of a genuine threat.
“The photographs from the scene highlight how close they were to serious, potentially life‑changing harm.
“We are incredibly fortunate that they were able to walk away - let alone continue the pursuit and ensure the suspect’s safe arrest.
“This incident highlights not only their individual courage but also the extraordinary heroism displayed by frontline officers across the Met every single day.
“The use of vehicles as weapons continues to pose significant risks, yet our officers confront this danger with unwavering professionalism and resolve.”
A 36-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm, theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving and having no insurance.
He has been bailed until a date in late March.
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