A wrong-way driver is accused of hitting a Scottsdale police bicycle officer with a car in Old Town early Saturday morning before speeding off, leaving the officer hospitalized with minor injuries. The confrontation unfolded around 3 a.m. on Shoeman Lane near Scottsdale and Camelback roads, in the heart of the city's nightlife district.
According to Arizona's Family, officers attempted to stop the vehicle when it accelerated and struck the bicycle officer, then fled the scene. The officer was taken to a hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries.
Driver Tracked Down Near Gold Dust Avenue
Officers didn't let the driver get far. The outlet's report notes that police later located the driver and the vehicle near Scottsdale Road and Gold Dust Avenue, just south of Shea Boulevard, not far from where the alleged hit-and-run began.
The driver was taken into custody and arrested on multiple charges, including aggravated assault on a police officer, per the same report. The driver's identity has not been publicly disclosed, and the station's account does not detail the officer's specific assignment or the full list of charges filed.
What Arizona Law Says About the Charge
Aggravated assault on a police officer is treated as a serious felony under state law. Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-1204, titled “Aggravated assault; classification; definitions,” lays out the circumstances under which a standard assault charge is elevated, stating that a person commits aggravated assault if the person commits assault as prescribed by a related statute under specified circumstances.
It remains unclear whether prosecutors have formally filed charges or how the case will proceed through the courts, and an arrest alone does not establish guilt. Old Town Scottsdale, a dense strip of bars and restaurants, has seen officers struck by vehicles before — in December 2022, six people, including four Scottsdale police officers, were struck by a car fleeing a traffic stop, according to ABC15.
No further details about the bicycle officer's condition or recovery have been released beyond the initial report of minor injuries and hospitalization.
