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A 23-year-old man was arrested Saturday morning in the Larnaca district after fleeing a traffic stop and striking a police officer’s hand, officials said.
Around 2 a.m., Larnaca Traffic Police officers stopped a vehicle for a routine check. They attempted to administer a breathalyzer test, but the driver initially refused to provide a sample. As an officer held the device toward the window, the man accelerated and fled, hitting the officer’s hand and causing the breathalyzer to fall inside the car.
Police later located the vehicle in Oroklini around 11 a.m. and identified the suspect, a European citizen and permanent resident of Cyprus. Authorities said the suspect admitted to the offenses. The preliminary breathalyzer device was later recovered from a swimming pool at his residence.
The suspect was arrested for offenses committed during the traffic stop, as well as for malicious damage to police property. The traffic officer was not injured.
The man is expected to appear in court Sunday, where authorities will request pre-trial detention. The Larnaca Traffic Police continue to investigate.
