March 21--A 58-year-old Oregon man was arrested Saturday morning on suspicion of trying to murder an Oceanside police officer.
Alan Wayne Croghan was sleeping on a bench near the beach when Officer Shannon Payfer, a nine-year veteran of the force, contacted him at 6:42 a.m., police said.
When asked for his identification and to remain seated, Croghan instead lunged at the officer, knocking her to the ground where she struck her head on a large rock, police said. Croghan then allegedly jumped on top of the officer.
"A nearby witness saw Croghan knock her down and heard him yelling he was going to kill her," police said in a statement.
Other officers arrived at the scene. One hit Croghan with a baton. He stopped fighting "but continued to resist and would not comply with their commands," police said.
Payfer was treated and released at a local hospital.
Croghan, listing his address as Beaverton, Ore., was booked into county jail on charges of attempted murder of a police officer, felony assault on a police officer and assault with injury on a police officer.
