Northern Ireland’s Secretary of State Hilary Benn said he was “appalled by the shocking incident”.
“Police officers put themselves in harm’s way every day to keep our communities safe, and any attack on those who serve the public is an attack on us all,” he said.
South Down assembly member Cathy Mason said the”reckless and dangerous incident” has caused “deep concern across our community”.
“The people of Downpatrick want to see those responsible held accountable,” the Sinn Féin MLA added, as she wished the injured officer a “full and speedy recovery”.
Policing Board member Trevor Clark, from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), described it as a “shocking and disgraceful attack on a police officer”.
“No officer should face the prospect of being targeted in this way while protecting the public,” he said.
South Down MLA Colin McGrath, from the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) said it was “totally unacceptable” that the officer’s life was put at risk.
He wished him a speed recovery but called for a full review of the incident “to understand how this happened”.
“A police car being stolen is very serious, particularly given firearms and ammunition were present, and lessons must be learned from this,” McGrath said.
