Man accused of ramming garbage truck into police chief’s squad guilty of attempted murder

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) A 21-year-old Davenport man accused of crashing a stolen garbage truck into a police chief’s squad car, seriously injuring the chief, has been found guilty of attempted murder.

A jury returned the verdict Thursday against Logan Shoemaker. Shoemaker also was found guilty of eluding, willful injury causing a serious injury and first-degree robbery. He was acquitted of a count of serious injury by vehicle.

Authorities say Shoemaker stole the truck Sept. 25 after it was hit by the pickup Shoemaker was driving while trying to evade police who were seeking him on a variety of charges.

Authorities say Shoemaker rammed into the squad vehicle of Buffalo Police Chief T.J. Behning, who was preparing to deploy stop sticks to flatten the truck’s tires.

Behning was hospitalized for leg injuries and has undergone about 15 surgeries.

Shoemaker testified during trial that he did not intend to hit Behning’s vehicle.