A Lauderhill, Florida, Police officer was hospitalized after being intentionally run over after being involved in an accident Tuesday evening, officials said.
According to an arrest report, the incident unfolded around 5:30 p.m. when the officer, who was in his marked police vehicle, was hit from behind while stopped at a red light in Sunrise.
The same vehicle, a blue Nissan Rogue, then intentionally hit the officer's vehicle from behind a second time, the report said.
As the officer stepped out of his vehicle and was approached by a witness to the crash, the Rogue drove at both of them, hitting them and sending them into the air before they landed in an adjacent parking lot, NBC Miami reports.
Cameras from a Tesla that was at the scene captured the shocking incident and shows both the officer and the witness being run over.
Moments later, the SUV entered the parking lot and turned around as the officer and witness were on the ground, then drove at the officer and hit him again, the report said.
The Rogue then reversed and tried to hit the officer again but narrowly missed and hit a tree, police say.
Police said the driver left the scene but was later stopped in Plantation and taken into custody.
The hit-and-run happened outside a busy shopping plaza. Many people were outside and said they witnessed everything, including Diondre Noel, who told Local10 he was feet away.
“From what I saw, he clearly tried to kill him,” Noel said. “It was intentional, it was complete and utter intentional.”
“The guy in the blue Nissan Rogue backed up his vehicle and proceeded to run over the police officer and the lady he was talking to,” Noel added. “He then proceeded to back up and run over them multiple times, trying to kill the police officer. The police officer got up and hid for his life behind the trees.”
Police say the driver of the Nissan Rogue, Terence Eugene Powell Jr., is charged with attempted murder, attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, and aggravated battery after The Tuesday evening incident.
Lauderhill Police said the officer was in stable condition Wednesday, but faces a long road to full recovery due to multiple injuries.
Rod Skirvin, president of the Broward Police Benevolent Association, told CBS the officer, who has multiple injuries, could have been killed.
"The officer experienced extensive injuries in this incident. He has several broken bones and severe road rash and abrasions all over his body. He is in very serious condition at this time," Skirvin.
He said the officer had a shattered pelvis and two broken legs and would probably remain at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale for another week.
"I think he intentionally tried to kill that officer and the fact that he hit him multiple times goes along with that. It's upsetting not only to him but to his family and the entire law enforcement community that has seen the video from this horrific incident," Skirvin said.
Sunrise Police said Wednesday that the female witness was conscious and alert in the hospital.
