Two Bradenton Police officers hospitalized after being struck by suspect vehicle

Two Bradenton Police officers are in the hospital after being struck by a suspect's vehicle early this morning.  One of the officers has serious injuries.

What we know:

Bradenton Police say the incident happened just after 3:20 this morning when officers responded to the call of a man with a gun harassing customers at the Wawa at 1st Street and 6th Avenue East in Bradenton.   

Police fired at the suspect's vehicle while he attempted to flee.  The police said the suspect struck the two officers with his vehicle before leading multiple police agencies on a chase to the Skyway Bridge and back to Bradenton. 

The pursuit involved Bradenton Police, the Manatee County Sheriff's Office and the Florida Highway Patrol.

The chase ended when the suspect crashed at 1st Street and 10th Ave West where he was taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

What we don't know:

We do not know the extent of both officer's injuries.  The one most seriously hurt is looking at a long road to recovery, according to the Bradenton Police Public Information officer, Meredith Censullo.

What's next:

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is responding.  The investigation is underway.  

The Source: Information for this story was taken from a press release by the Bradenton Police Department as well as an interview with the BPD's Public Information Officer.