No Bail for Man Accused of Driving Into 3 Cops

A man accused of trying to run over three Phoenix police officers, in what the police chief described as a "violent, intentional attack," appeared in court this morning.

Marc LaQuon Payne, 44, is facing charges that include three counts of attempted first-degree murder and five counts of aggravated assault. He was denied bail and did not enter a plea.

The judge said Payne would be appointed an attorney. His next court appearance was set for next Tuesday.

Phoenix Police Chief Joe Yahner said the three cops were standing in a parking lot early Tuesday when the suspect drove "directly at them, attempting to run them over."

Yahner said the car hit two of the officers, collided into a police car and crashed into a store, in a moment caught on surveillance video.

One officer flew 8 feet into air, according to police.

Payne then "struggled violently with the officers for several minutes before being taken into custody," Yahner said.

The two officers hit by the car suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The third officer, who jumped out of the way of the car, suffered some injuries during the struggle with Payne.

The officers have been released from the hospital, the police said.

Separately, court documents show that Payne was charged with injuring three local police officers during a 1997 traffic stop. He was charged with three counts of aggravated assault; two counts were dismissed, and he received probation after pleading to one lesser charge, according to documents.

After this week's attack, Yahner said, "The actions taken by our officers in the immediate moments following this incident were nothing short of heroic."

"We are very fortunate these officers were not killed or more seriously injured," he added. "We are living in uncertain times, and this is yet another reminder of how important it is to stay vigilant and to watch out for one another."