A SUSPECT assaulted an officer as he tried to escape arrest.

Police were patrolling the Hallwood Park area on Saturday night (June 1) when they witnessed a possible drug deal.

The officer stopped two males, one of whom was detained for a search and handed over a bag of white powder before attempting to escape “with force”.

During this altercation, he assaulted the officer who then sprayed the suspect with captor before arresting him for assaulting an emergency worker, obstructing police and possession of a class A drug.

“I would like to thank an unknown member of the public who had stopped their vehicle and offered assistance to the police officer while struggling with the suspect,” read a Facebook post by Halton Lea Police.

“If this male can private message our page the officer would like to personally thank him.

“To the residents of Halton Lea and Runcorn we will continue to target these individuals who think it is acceptable to buy or sell controlled drugs and then assault our police officers conducting their duties to make our communities safe.”