A man accused of striking three police officers with his vehicle at a Phoenix QuikTrip early Tuesday has been identified as 44-year-old Marc LaQuon Payne.
An angry Phoenix Police Chief Joe Yahner played a video showing a vehicle pulling out of a parking space, circling the parking lot and then accelerating toward the police officers outside the convenience store.
In an early-afternoon press conference, Yahner said two officers were seriously injured and the driver will be booked on three charges of attempted first-degree murder.
"I’m very proud of the men and women of the Phoenix Police Department, and I'm outraged by this incident," Yahner said.
“Our Phoenix police officers were targeted."
A 33-year-old police officer who was on his first day of duty suffered a head injury, and a police sergeant, 41, suffered a broken leg. A third officer, 36, managed to jump out of the way but was injured during an extended struggle with the driver, Yahner said.
The video shows the rookie officer thrown several feet in the air and hitting the glass window of the QuikTrip. The officer, whom Yahner would identify only by his first name, Jeremy, then helped take Payne into custody, Yahner said.
The sergeant, who had fallen to the pavement, called for assistance, Yahner said.
The collision happened just before 2 a.m. at the store at 2535 W Camelback Road, just off Interstate 17.
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Originally Posted by Trooper224
