Dubai: A jobless man has been accused of assaulting a policeman and breaking his arm and leg when he tried to apprehend him for bootlegging in a dark alley.

The policeman was said to be patrolling along with his partner in Naif area when they spotted two Nigerian men selling alcohol in a dark street corner that leads to an alley between buildings in August.

One of the Nigerian men, 33, was sitting beside a few boxes of liquor, according to records, before the policeman asked him for his personal identification papers.

Once the policeman introduced himself and showed his police ID to him, the latter immediately stood up and tried to run away.

The policeman grabbed him in an attempt to foil his bid to run away, but the Nigerian turned violent and tried to resist the policeman, who was punched and kicked in his leg.

The policeman stood his ground and when he tried to handcuff the Nigerian, the 33-year-old pushed him before the two fell down.

When the other policeman tried to intervene and save his colleague, the other Nigerian man, 26, stepped in and assaulted him.

Medical records confirmed that the assaulted policeman sustained a fractured arm and leg.

Prosecutors accused the 33-year-old Nigerian of assaulting the policeman and causing him a 15 per cent permanent disability. The latter was referred to the Dubai Court of First Instance.

He was also accused of possessing liquor for trading purposes.

The 26-year-old Nigerian was referred to the Dubai Misdemeanours Court where he will be prosecuted for possessing 20 bottles of alcohol for trading purposes. He was additionally accused of hitting the other policeman with a chair.

Jail wardens did not bring the 33-year-old Nigerian suspect from his detention to the Court of First Instance on Wednesday.

The assaulted policeman testified to prosecutors that the incident happened when they tried to apprehend the Nigerians for bootlegging.

“When I presented my police ID to the 33-year-old suspect, he punched me in my belly and kicked my leg. Then when he tried to run away, I grabbed him and stopped him … both of us fell down and I fractured my arm and leg. My partner intervened and apprehended the suspect … then I was rushed to hospital,” he claimed to prosecutors.

The trial continues.