GNR officers from a station in Canas de Senhorim, near Lisbon, are said to be “in a profound state of shock” after one of their number fled a petrol station without paying, sparked a high speed motorway chase and threatened other police officers with a loaded gun. The 24-year-old, who was finally arrested in Fátima, is being held in custody at a military garrison in Tomar and will undergo psychiatric examination to determine the origin of his strange behaviour.
The officer finished his stint of duty at midnight and then, inexplicably, threatened a Spanish couple with his gun at a service area off the A1 motorway. He then refuelled his car at a petrol station and left without paying, ignoring police orders to pull over when officers spotted his car. Travelling a total of 70 kilometres along the northbound motorway, the officer made innumerable dangerous manoeuvres and bypassed a police roadblock that had been set up using a second police car and a heavy goods vehicle.
Turning off the motorway at Fátima, the soldier caused chaos in the local traffic and it was only after a further 45-minute chase that officers managed to corner his vehicle. Even then, as he left the car, the soldier aimed a loaded gun in the direction of his fellow officers and appeared ready to fire. Fortunately, other officers were able to disarm him without further incident.
