Man Steals Truck, Runs Over Officer, Gets Arrested: Boston Police

BOSTON, MA — This weekend a man driving a stolen truck backed into a police cruiser and drove toward and into another officer that was out of a car, sending both officers to the hospital, as he attempted to evade police.

A short while later, officers arrested Robert Bjorkman, 49, of Middleboro. Bjorkman is expected to be arraigned in South Boston District Court on charges of assault to murder, malicious destruction of property, larceny of a motor vehicle, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, failure to stop for police, leaving the scene personal injury, leaving the scene property damage, and resisting arrest.

About 11:27 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 10, someone notified an officer working a paid detail in the area of 1436 Columbia Rd that a truck had been stolen from the construction site. The detail officer broadcast a description of the suspect and the truck. Another officer working a paid detail in the area then saw what appeared to be the stolen truck and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. When the truck didn't stop, the detail officer put his lights and siren on and followed the truck into Dorchester.

The officer tried, unsuccessfully, to stop the truck multiple times.

Somewhere along the way, according to police, the driver of the truck struck several parked cars and then backed into the officer’s cruiser. Other police officers arrived and attempted to stop the driver of the truck.

As one of the officers exited his cruiser, the suspect drove toward the officer and hit him, police said.

Officers were eventually able to stop the man in the area of 192 Boston St. in Dorchester. Both the officer who was in the car when Bjorkman backed into it and the officer he hit were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.

File Photo by Jenna Fisher/Patch Staff