Five people have been arrested after they allegedly assaulted a police officer and stole a police vehicle.

Police were called to a disturbance at Abbotts Camp on South Terrace just after 6pm last night and the two members who attended were attacked by a group of people.

The offenders stole a police baton before fleeing in a Holden Commodore. The members pursued the vehicle for a brief time but stopped due to the high speeds being reached by the offender's vehicle.

The vehicle was located a short time later by a police officer patrolling on his own near the claypans five kilometres along the Old South Road.

The police officer approached the vehicle and was attacked by one of the occupants wielding the stolen police baton before the four others armed themselves with beer bottles and rocks and also began assaulting the officer.

During the assault the officer was hit over the head with a full stubby.

The offenders then entered the police vehicle and the driver drove at the police officer a number of times in an attempt to run him down before speeding down the old South Road.

The police officer was taken to hospital with a deep gash to his head and other minor injuries.

The stolen vehicle was located approximately 190 kilometres south of Alice Springs after police from Alice Springs, Santa Teresa and Kulgera mounted a search last night. One of the alleged offenders, a female, was arrested after she was found in the vehicle.

Two men and two women were arrested this morning after being found by police several kilometres south of the vehicle. They are being brought back to Alice Springs to be interviewed.

Commander Bert Hofer said police were outraged at the cowardly attack on a police officer.

"This incident is an outrage and could easily have resulted in much more serious consequences for this Member, "Commander Hofer said.

"Every day police officers do their best to protect the community and often it's a difficult and dangerous job, but to have this sort of cowardly assault on a lone police officer by a group of people is completely intolerable.

"The police officer in question showed remarkable restraint and the assailants should consider themselves very fortunate that the armed officer, under extremely trying circumstances, remained calm and used only such force as was necessary to extricate himself from the attack," Commander Hofer said.

"It is of concern that there appears to be an increasing lack of respect by some elements in the community towards police, and I feel sure that the majority of the public will be just as outraged as we are."

Acting Commissioner Bruce Wernham agreed that the officer showed tremendous restraint and should be commended.

"Issues that involve the threat to the life of a police officer are very serious and I condemn the events of last night and this drunken, cowardly and brutal behaviour," he said.

Police investigations are continuing and the alleged offenders are expected to be charged later today.


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