TWO MASSACHUSETTS POLICE OFFICERS HIT BY CAR

Two police officers are recovering Friday after being hit by a car in Worcester. It happened as they tried to take a suspect into custody. Police said a man in a yellow convertible, identified as Antoine Ayoub, 45, claimed he was a police officer and approached two female students at Clark University at about 2:30 a.m. The women fled the area and the operator of the vehicle fled as well. According to police, the students then immediately flagged down a campus police officer and told him about the incident. Moments later, the car was spotted driving on Park Avenue. A Clark University police officer pulled over the car and requested backup from the Worcester police. Officers approached the car on foot. "At this point, the officers realized that this individual had a badge on him and they were inquiring about the badge and at the same time, ordering the occupant to shut off his vehicle," said Hazlehurst. Instead, the driver gunned it while both officers were trying get inside the vehicle. "A short distance later, the vehicle did crash, flipping over, trapping the operator and the Worcester police officer. The Clark University officer was ejected," Hazlehurst said. The Clark university officer, Michael Palermo, was injured in an accident. He suffered a broken leg. The Worcester officer, Pat Harrington, was also injured, but not as seriously. The police officers and the suspect are being treated at the UMass Medical Center.