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Phoenix police: Man attacks nurses, police officers with screwdriver

Posted at 11:00 PM, Feb 18, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-19 19:42:51-05

A man is accused of attacking four people — including two Phoenix police officers — with a screwdriver in north Phoenix.

Two nurses called police from a medical facility near 38th Street and Bell Road after the suspect, identified as Arturo Reyes Garcia, allegedly became combative and threatening towards the staff, police said.

During the nurses' attempts to calm the 37-year-old man down, he attacked them both with a screwdriver and is accused of puncturing their hands and wrists, authorities said. Garcia left the building shortly after the attack.

Witnesses told police the man left the facility in a wheelchair and he was located a short time later; just blocks away from the initial scene.

According to authorities, Garcia was uncooperative with the officers and threatened to stab them with his screwdriver.

A Taser was used on him but it wasn't immediately effective. The officers used force on Garcia and during the altercation, he attacked a female officer with a screwdriver as they were attempting to place him in handcuffs.

A male officer also suffered injuries but they weren't caused by the screwdriver, police said.

Garcia was taken into custody and the female officer is hospitalized but expected to be OK. The nurses were also transported to the hospital for treatment.

All officers and nurses have been released from the hospital. 

He faces two counts of aggravated assault on an officer and two counts of aggravated assault on medical staff. 

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