An Alabama man has been charged with attempted murder after a vehicular assault upon a Decatur police officer — while the officer was off duty at home.
Gregory Martin Hill first faced a second-degree assault charge after Officer Jack Brown was attacked. The charge is now attempted murder, according to AL.com.
The incident, which was captured by a doorbell video camera, began when Brown went to investigate a vehicle that pulled up near his home, according to a post on the Decatur Police Department’s Facebook page.
WARNING: The following video contains graphic images that some viewers may find disturbing.
Hill, who was the driver of the vehicle, and Brown got into an argument that ended when Hill pulled away, striking a parked vehicle.
Then, things got weird.
Brown headed back to the driveway when he had to dodge out of the way of the Jeep, as seen in the video. The Jeep hit a tree instead.
Brown ran into the house. After a moment, Hill followed.
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Hill returned to his Jeep when Brown emerged with a gun and his handcuffs.
Brown attempted to place Hill under arrest and ordered him to lie down on the ground. Hill refused.
“Hill got back into his vehicle, and Officer Brown attempted to get him out of the driver’s seat,’’ the police report of the incident said, according to AL.com.
“Instead, Hill drove directly into Officer Brown, who discharged his weapon into the Jeep numerous times,” the report said.
The gunshots are audible on the video, although the action moved out of camera range. None of the shots hit Hill.
Brown was pushed across his front yard. The vehicle then ran over Brown’s legs. Brown was taken to Huntsville Hospital on the night of the incident where he was later released.
When the driver got out of the vehicle, he was subdued by Brown and a neighbor who came to Brown’s assistance.
Morgan County Circuit Judge Charles Elliott set Hill’s bond at $1 million cash on Thursday, AL.com reported.
Police said Brown and Hill were not known to each other before the incident.
In a follow-up message on Facebook, the department said Brown “is walking and doing well. He and his family would like to thank everyone for their messages and prayers.”
