PHOENIX — Phoenix police are investigating an aggravated assault that involved an officer, the city's police said. The officer remains in the hospital and is expected to survive.
As of Monday evening, the injured police officer remains hospitalized.
"We are grateful for all the messages of support and encouragement received from the community. The successful recovery of our officer is the top priority of our department," police said.
In an update released late Monday night, police identified the suspect in the officer's assault as 33-year-old John Liddell Jr. He was booked into the Maricopa County jail after he was released from the hospital.
Phoenix police officers responded to a gas station in the area of 19th Avenue and Bell Road at around 1 a.m. Sunday morning for a call of trespassing. An employee of the business told the officer who responded there was a man trespassing and the employee wanted the man off the property.
Police said the officer spoke to the man and informed him he was no longer allowed to be there, and then the officer began to escort the man to the exit. The man pulled out a knife and "violently attacked the officer," police said.
The employees in the store fought the armed suspect and were able to subdue him until other officers arrived and took the man into custody, police said.
Police said the employees who came to the officer's aid were treated on scene for minor injuries and the officer who was stabbed was taken to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect was also taken to the hospital for medical issues unrelated to the incident, police said.
“I am so grateful that our officer injured last night is stable and recovering in the hospital. This is the second Phoenix officer who has been violently attacked in a week. I refuse to let this become the norm. It is unacceptable and the community should be outraged," Interim Phoenix Police Chief Michael Sullivan said.
Police said the suspect will be facing multiple felony charges when he is released from the hospital.
<< This story will be updated as additional information becomes available. Stay with 12News for the latest.
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