From staff reports
Times-Picayune
Copyright 2006 The Times-Picayune Publishing Company
A 21-year-old New Orleans man was booked with the attempted murder of two police officers Tuesday, accused of nearly running them down as he tried to evade arrest, police said.
Donald McNeil, 2416 Dumaine St., was booked with two counts of attempted murder of police officers and possession of crack cocaine.
Police responded to a call about 5 p.m. that there was a person with a gun in the 2400 block of Dumaine Street in Treme.
Officers saw the man get into a car. One officer pulled his vehicle in front of the suspect’s, and another officer drove up alongside, police spokesman Garry Flot said.
The officers jumped out of their cars and banged on McNeil’s windows to get him to come out, but instead he accelerated and hit both squad cars and a parked car before coming to a stop, police said.
Officers were able to subdue him by spraying him with Mace, police said.
Police found no firearm in the car or on his person or property, but found about 1 ounce of crack in the car.
Police said the two officers would have been hit by McNeil’s car had they not jumped out of the way when he accelerated, police said.
No one was injured in the incident, police said.
August 23, 2006