NORTHERN Province police charged 10 farmers with attempted murder on Thursday after the farmers allegedly assaulted three stock theft officers and damaged a police van. The unnamed farmers forced three black Pietersburg police officers off the road on Tuesday afternoon. “The officers spotted a suspicious truck full of cattle near Bochum and attempted to pull it off the road for inspection but the truck sped off instead of stopping,” said police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Phuti Setati. “They chased the truck but were in turn chased by three heavily armed farmers in another vehicle.” The farmers crashed into the police bakkie, forcing it off the road. One officer was severely assaulted before back-up officers arrived.