Detroit police officer run over by tow truck; 3 others injured by mentally ill man's assault

A Detroit police officer is recovering after being run over by a tow truck Wednesday night.

"There was a tow truck that veered towards the lights, towards the action and struck our officer," said DPD Assistant Chief Charles Fitzgerald.

Officers were wrapping up an arrest when a man ran from a traffic stop near Fenkell and Schaefer. It was then, that officer was run over.

"He has all kinds of broken bones, lacerated liver, a collapsed lung," Fitzgerald said. "He just underwent another surgery this morning."

The officer is in temporary serious condition – and in good spirits. His dad, a several-decade veteran of the force, has been by his side.

"A very good officer, hard-working, a young man smiles all the time even last night," Fitzgerald said.

That tow truck driver is on a suspended license with other traffic warrants too. Fitzgeral says, he should not have even been on the road.

"It really is (upsetting) but unfortunately, our officers deal with it every single day," he said.

Two hours earlier, Wednesday night – three more officers from the 12th Precinct were injured, in a domestic situation between brothers.

"l'll just say she was savagely attacked, she walked up three feet from him and asked what was going on and he attacked her," Fitzgerald said.

Two brothers were in a car fighting, then somehow crashed, That’s when three officers from the 12th precint responded.

While two handled one brother – the other officer, a female, was beaten badly by the other brother.

"That's not our first contact with him, this past simmer our officers were out there as well fighting with family again," Fitzgerald said.

Last summer – the man went after his mother. and this time, he’ll likely be charged for beating the officer. All three suffered minor…injuries, and will be off the job to recover.

The assistant chief says, the attacker suffers from mental illness.

"Against it's mental illness it's a crisis that we're dealing with -  already 2,500 this year, dealing with folks in mental crisis," said Fitzgerald.