Phoenix Law Enforcement Association Applauds Indictment of Suspect Who Assaulted a Police Officer

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) announced Thursday that Rudy Gomez, 29, has been indicted after brutally assaulting Phoenix Police Officer George Manciu during a domestic abuse incident. In response, the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association (PLEA) said the indictment was the right call.

“The Phoenix Law Enforcement Association is pleased that the Grand Jury found sufficient probable cause to indict the suspect in the brutal attack on our officer. Any other outcome would have been wrong. We thank the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for its pursuit of justice,” PLEA said in a statement shared with The Arizona Sun Times.

Gomez is now charged with eight felony counts, which include three counts of aggravated assault, four counts of endangerment, and one count of assault. However, these are still only accusations, and the suspect is innocent until proven guilty.

“As a community, we should be deeply concerned by the increase in violence directed at our men and women in law enforcement,” said County Attorney Rachel Mitchell (R). “Next week marks the start of National Police Week. It is the ideal time to acknowledge those who put their lives in danger to protect us, and to thank them for their courageous service. Every week should be Police Week.”

According to the official statement from the Phoenix Police Department (PHXPD), the incident occurred on the evening of April 30th when a woman flagged down Officer Manciu near Central Avenue and Thomas Road. The woman said she was assaulted by her children’s father, Gomez. While Manciu spoke with the woman, Gomez approached the two and attacked the officer. He got Manciu to the ground and began repeatedly punching him in the face, then kicked him while he lay on the ground. Following the assault, other responding officers arrested Gomez, and Manciu was rushed to the hospital with “serious but non-life-threatening injuries.”

Court documents shared by Fox 10 revealed the extent of the injuries the officer suffered. These include fractured orbital sockets, a laceration on the back of the head and above the right eye, and a broken nose. The office has since been released from the hospital and is recovering at home.

Additionally, the documents shared Gomez’s side of the story, who admitted he had been drinking before the incident. He claimed to be angry with the woman because she left him without allowing him to say goodbye to his children. He allegedly broke the driver’s side window of the woman’s car, but when he saw her speaking with a police officer, he “knew he would be arrested.” Once the altercation started, Gomez said his “rage came out,” and he tackled the officer.

Initially, the MACO requested a $100,000 cash bail for Gomez, but a judge reportedly reduced that to $60,000. This did not sit well with PLEA, who called the bond “shockingly low” for the crimes committed. Nonetheless, PLEA said this indictment gives them faith that justice will still come.

“The attack on our officer was brutal and shocking. Despite our extreme displeasure with the judge in the original bond hearing, we are confident that the system will deliver justice for our officer,” PLEA said.

Moreover, it was a sad week for PHXPD as two officers died. On May 9th, Sgt. Tim Wheeler, who had served the department since 2007, passed away from a medical event at his home. The next day, Officer Mark Aker passed after an on-duty medical event. He began service in 1994.

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Neil Jones is a reporter for The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Neil on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Phoenix Police Department” by Phoenix Police Department.

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