An officer in Florida who was attacked in broad daylight on Thursday while on duty needs facial reconstruction surgery after he was beaten until the point of losing consciousness, authorities said.
“Our injured officer is now home and recovering, he will undergo facial reconstructive surgery next week,” the Atlantic Beach Police Department wrote in a statement. “Prayers are much appreciated!”
The 27-year veteran of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, who recently took a job in Atlantic Beach after his retirement answered a complaint that day in the afternoon about a man at the Panera Bread restaurant parking lot, according to a news release on the Harford County Sheriff’s End of Watch’s Facebook page.
The suspect, 19-year-old Jaden Perkins tried to make contact with the unidentified restaurant employee who filed the complaint against him after allegedly bothering employees, according to the injured officer’s GoFundMe page.
Once the officer responding to the complaint arrived at the restaurant parking lot, Perkins instead attacked him, knocking the veteran officer down on the ground and reportedly kicking him in the head and stomping on his head.
“The man continued to punch the officer in the head while he laid on the ground, witnessed told officers. A back-up officer arrived and saw the man stomping on the officer’s head repeatedly,” according to the release.
Perkins was arrested by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on the same day of the alleged assault and has been charged with attempted murder second-degree.
After a back-up officer arrived to help out his fellow officer, Perkins reportedly told him, “You’re going to have to kill me,” as he continued his assault, according to First Coast News.
The officer who backed-up reportedly gave verbal commands to Perkins, urging him to stop the attack. He then reportedly stopped the assault and sat on the ground for a short period before getting up again, telling the officer he will have to kill him, police said.
“The back-up officer retreated to create distance and continued to give verbal commands,” police said in the release. After Perkins allegedly made an attempt to reach for the officer his gun, that’s when the back-up officer neutralized him after shooting him once.
The officer, who was beaten unconscious, as well as Perkins, were both taken to the hospital and are expected to recover.
