Police: Man charged with attempted murder after hitting cop with a car

MELBOURNE, Fla. — A man was arrested early Monday after he intentionally struck a Melbourne police officer with his car during a traffic stop, authorities said.

Octavius Weaver, 26, was driving a black Ford truck at about 1:13 a.m. when an officer tried to pull him over in the area of Lipscomb Street and University Boulevard, the Melbourne Police Department said.

When Weaver didn’t stop, police took chase and other officers deployed stop sticks at the intersection of Brevard Avenue and U.S. 1, investigators said.

The other officers who were in pursuit of the vehicle had their dash cameras rolling during the incident.

Officers struck Octavius Weaver's stolen car on Babcock Street and it drove off an embankment and flipped over, authorities said.

Weaver faced a judge Monday. He is facing charges of attempted murder on a law enforcement officer and other felony charges.

Police said Weaver reached speeds of 126 miles per hour during the pursuit.

"Whenever you get the cars going over 100 mph, you don't know what's going to happen. They're not race cars," said Cmdr. Dan Lynch of the Melbourne Police Department.

As the cars headed north on U.S. 1 near Brevard Drive, the situation intensified.

The dashcam video, which has not been released, shows Weaver swerving around stop sticks, and striking an officer, police said.

“The car went to the right and accelerated toward the officer, and the officer got hit, and thrown up in the air,” said Lynch.

Moments later, and a few blocks away, an officer in pursuit nudged the stolen car.

The "PIT" maneuver stopped the pursuit, and inside the car, police said they found two handguns, a passenger and Weaver.

Weaver told the judge that the officer jumped in front of his car, but the judge ordered him locked up without bail.

The first-year officer who was struck suffered broken ribs and some scrapes and bruises, but he is at home recovering.

Cox Media Group