text: Michael Olsen, 52, has been jailed for 12 years after shooting a police officer in the hand . A thug who shot a hero policeman in the hand as he was tackled to the ground after threatening to blow another officer's head off has been jailed for 12 years. Michael Olsen, 52, from Dartford, Kent, was challenged by PCs Mark Bird and Robert Wilson after abandoning his car in the middle of the road after ploughing into a traffic island and parked cars. He initially ignored the officers who were pursuing him by car but when they got out he turned round and pulled a gun to PC Wilson's head. When PC Bird lunged at Olsen in a bid to save his colleague he felt a sharp pain through his hand and realised he had been shot. They were able to restrain and arrest him, where they found a bag of bullets in his pocket. The 45-year-old officer, who is now back on duty, and his colleague had been called to a routine traffic accident in Welling on October 3, last year, when the incident unfolded. A Land Rover Freelander had been abandoned in the middle of the road after a crash and a member of the public had called to say the driver had walked off. The police officers went after Olsen in their car and spotted him walking along a nearby residential street where they confronted him. PC Bird, who has been in the force for nearly 23 years, said: 'I challenged him and he ignored us and carried on walking. We stopped the car almost straight away and jumped out. 'As I challenged him again he turned around, pulled out a revolver and pointed it about five or six feet away from Rob's head. He said: "If you come any closer I will blow your effing head off".' He added: 'I looked at his eyes, and I thought he means what he says he's going to do, so I went for him with my left arm to try and knock the gun away from him. PC Mark Bird (pictured) was attending a routine traffic accident with his colleague PC Robert Wilson in October last year when the incident happened . 'As I did this he turned towards me. I felt the gun in the palm of my hand and he fired one shot. I felt a really sharp pain, like someone pushing a knife through and then pulling it out again.' Police believe he was on his way to see his ex-girlfriend whom he was banned from seeing under bail conditions. PC Bird added: 'It was literally such a split second thing and we had to try to do something, because we were cornered really, and there was no way we were going to let him go. 'It's only afterwards that you realise the gravity of it. If the bullet had gone through the wrist, it could have gone up the arm and travelled towards the heart. 'Someone was watching over us that night. I'm still here, I'm still a police officer, I'm carrying on.' The officers challenged Olsen but he turned round and pulled a gun to PC Wilson's head. PC Bird stepped in to save him but as he did he was shot in the hand (pictured, his injuries) As Olsen pointed the revolver at the officer's head he threatened: 'If you come any closer I will blow your effing head off'. He denied knowing the gun was real but was found guilty at Inner London Crown Court . PC Wilson said: 'It happened so quickly. It's when you sit down afterwards and start to think about things, what ifs, what could have happened. 'You see the injury to Mark's hand and you think that gun was pointing at my head - so there's no way I'd be here now if Mark's hand hadn't got in the way.' In custody Olsen, denied knowing the gun was real, claiming he thought it was a toy. He was found guilty of GBH with intent, possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life and dangerous driving and jailed for 12 years at Inner London Crown Court.
target: Michael Olsen, 52, abandoned his car after ploughing into a traffic island .
  He was confronted by PCs Mark Bird and Robert Wilson but pulled out gun .
  PC Bird lunged at Olsen in bid to save colleague but was shot in the hand .
  Olsen claimed gun was toy but found guilty at Inner London Crown Court .