An Austin police officer is struck by a pick up truck during a disturbance call. Police say the bicycle officer was attempting to stop three men inside a black pick up truck off Colorado Street around 2:00am Sunday morning.

The pick up truck is described as either a 2007 or 2008 black Chevy 4x4 with four doors.

Only the truck involved in the assault still had temporary buyer's plates with the numbers 04-01.

“If you're a dealership and you know that just recently within the last 10-20 days you sold a four-wheel drive newer pick up truck. We're urging you to help us out in this case, because they did injure the police officer,” said James Mason, detective of the Austin Police Department.

When the officer asked the driver of the truck to turn off the engine, the driver didn't listen. Instead, police say the driver turned the steering wheel toward the officer and then hit the gas, striking the officer on the knees and shins as it took off.

“He definitely, he's got some abrasion and bruising, red marks etcetera. He did have pain associated with all of this, but he was able to get back on his bicycle and give chase,” said Mason.

Even though the officer wasn't seriously injured the men involved could face a third degree felony of aggravated assault to a peace officer. Over 2007 Austin police report 113 cases of assaults on APD officers. That's nearly one every three days. The numbers are even more staggering nationwide.

“Any given year it's (fewer than) 16,000 assaults that occur on a police officer per year,” said Wuthipong Tantaksinanukij, Senior police officer.

Most of the time, those assaults occur between 12:01a.m. and 2:00 a.m. The Austin Police Association says more combat training could lower those numbers.

“I think we need recurrenc(y) training on those issues. You'll speak to a lot of officers out here that have not gone back for any type of recurrenc(y) training and I think that's something the department has to look at and that rests solely on the shoulders of the Austin Police Department,” said officer Tantaksinanukij.

The A.P.A. says the extra training would remind officers how to protect themselves during an assault.

The men involved in Sunday's assault are described as three white or Hispanic males in their late teens or early twenties.