BATON ROUGE - A Baton Rouge motorcycle officer was in critical condition Monday after what may have been a deliberate a hit-and-run crash on Joor Road.

The crash, which happened around 11 a.m. near the intersection of Joor and Prescott roads, left Sgt. Caleb Eisworth, a 23-year veteran of the Baton Rouge Police Department, hospitalized in "extremely critical" condition, an East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office spokesperson said.

East Baton Rouge Parish deputies said that Eisworth was on his way to a work-related escort assignment when he was traveling northbound on Joor near the Prescott intersection. The suspect vehicle followed him for a short distance before striking him with his truck and fleeing the area, deputies added.

The suspect, Gad Black, 41, was arrested about an hour-and-a-half along Airline Highway near Harry Drive. He is being charged with attempted first-degree murder of a police officer with more charged pending an investigation. 

Shortly after the crash, Gad posted on Facebook implying his involvement in the hit-and-run.

Gad was previously arrested after a pursuit in 2014. In that case, the chase lasted 15 minutes and included running red lights, using one hand to "flip his middle finger" at the police helicopter overhead and deliberately hitting police and other vehicles, according to arrest records.

At the end of the pursuit, officers found a 9-year-old child inside the car "visibly shaken, scared and suffering," arrest records show. He ultimately pleaded guilty in this case to aggravated flight from an officer and completed probation in 2019, court records indicate.

“This was a deliberate and cowardly attack on an officer—one of our community’s protectors — and it strikes at the very heart of public safety. Sgt. Eisworth is a dedicated public servant who has spent over two decades protecting this city, and he was targeted while simply doing his job. We are outraged by this senseless act of violence and fully committed to ensuring the individual responsible is held accountable to the fullest extent of the law," East Baton Rouge Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said in a statement.

Both Mayor-President Sid Edwards and BRPD Chief T.J. Morse gave their condolences to Eisworth and his family.

Edwards said Monday's "incident is a sobering reminder of the dangers law enforcement officers face every day in the line of duty to protect and serve our community. Our administration is keeping the injured officer, his family, and the entire BRPD family in our thoughts and prayers." 

Morse shared the mayor's sentiments in his statement: 

Today’s senseless act of violence against our Baton Rouge Police Officer is absolutely unacceptable. This behavior against law enforcement Officers will not be tolerated and will result in the highest appropriate criminal charges and enforcement. Thank you to the citizens of Baton Rouge that cried out for help, calling 911 on behalf of Officer Eisworth after witnessing him being targeted and attacked while simply doing his job, proudly serving our community. With a heavy heart, I’m calling on all of Baton Rouge to join our Department in lifting our Officer and his family up in prayer, as he needs and deserves each and every one. Our entire department is rallying behind his health at this time. Making it home after each shift is what I pray over every one of my Officers each day. I’m asking everyone to join me in that prayer now. Let’s fervently pray Officer Eisworth back home to his loved ones.