Man arrested after striking Scottsdale officer with car, stealing ambulance

PHOENIX – Scottsdale police arrested the suspect who allegedly backed his vehicle into an officer’s motorcycle, hit another car and stole an ambulance Monday.

Police said Matthew Thomas Crook, 34, was booked Thursday evening and will face a variety of charges, including aggravated assault on an officer and theft of an emergency vehicle.

An officer suffered minor injuries when Crook appeared to intentionally back into his motorcycle during a traffic stop near Indian School and Scottsdale roads and drove off with a woman in the passenger seat, Scottsdale police said.

Police said Crook then was involved in a collision near 75th Street and Indian School Road and continued driving. The driver of the other vehicle in that incident was not hurt.

The suspects drove into an apartment complex and fled on foot, police said.

Police then received reports about an ambulance being stolen from a nearby unrelated medical incident. The ambulance was recovered near 79th Street and Heatherbrae Avenue, northwest of Indian School and Hayden roads.

Witness said they saw the suspects run into the neighborhood and police were able to apprehend the woman.

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