HIALEAH, Fla. – Authorities arrested a man they said was riding a stolen motorcycle when he struck a Hialeah police officer.
It happened along East 49th Street between Fourth and Fifth Avenues.
According to police, at approximately 4 a.m. officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a motorcyclist.
As an officer approached the motorist, police said the man on the motorcycle accelerated and struck the officer before taking off on foot.
A perimeter was established the the suspect was eventually found and taken into custody. He has since been identified as 36-year-old Roberto Ortiz of Miami.
Police said the injured officer was rushed to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he is expected to undergo surgery.
According to investigators, the motorcycle had been reported stolen out of Miami. Police did not say why they originally pulled Ortiz over.
Ortiz is facing charges that include motorcycle theft and aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer. He was taken to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where he has since been released on bond, which was set at just over $25,000.
The scene of the crash cleared around 9 a.m.
The road was shut down for several hours as officers investigated the scene but it has since reopened.