The officer had responded to a report that a woman had accidentally driven her car into the BP gas station's convenience store at Northwest 199th Street and 37th Avenue.

``The girl had slammed her car into the window,'' said Abubakar Pasha, 25, a clerk at the gas station. ``The police officer parked his car in the back of the gas station, and I think he was doing paperwork in the car. I went back to work.''

Then, Pasha heard a loud noise and a man screaming for help. He stepped outside and saw the police officer had crashed into the pole, so he called 911.

As he approached the car, he saw a man punching the officer.

According to Miami Gardens police Capt. Ralph Suarez, the altercation started after the officer questioned ``a subject who appeared kind of strange.'' The man, who had been walking by the station, attacked the officer. The car's gear shift moved to ``drive,'' during the struggle and the car hit the pole.

``They were fighting. A guy wearing a black shirt had jumped into the police car through the window,'' Pasha said.

One shot was fired during the struggle, Suarez said.

Pasha said he approached the crashed car and asked the officer whether he could help.

``Half of the man's body was inside the car and half of his body was outside,'' Pasha said. ``[The man] was punching him and was trying to take away his gun, so he handed it to me.''

Pasha held on to the officer's gun, and the officer subdued his attacker.

``He was fighting hard. I think I saved his life, but I don't feel like a hero,'' Pasha said.

Pasha said the officer suffered minor injuries. The attacker was taken to a hospital to be evaluatedfor injuries and was arrested.

The officer had responded to a report that a woman had accidentally driven her car into the BP gas station's convenience store at Northwest 199th Street and 37th Avenue.

``The girl had slammed her car into the window,'' said Abubakar Pasha, 25, a clerk at the gas station. ``The police officer parked his car in the back of the gas station, and I think he was doing paperwork in the car. I went back to work.''

Then, Pasha heard a loud noise and a man screaming for help. He stepped outside and saw the police officer had crashed into the pole, so he called 911.

As he approached the car, he saw a man punching the officer.

According to Miami Gardens police Capt. Ralph Suarez, the altercation started after the officer questioned ``a subject who appeared kind of strange.'' The man, who had been walking by the station, attacked the officer. The car's gear shift moved to ``drive,'' during the struggle and the car hit the pole.

``They were fighting. A guy wearing a black shirt had jumped into the police car through the window,'' Pasha said.

One shot was fired during the struggle, Suarez said.

Pasha said he approached the crashed car and asked the officer whether he could help.

``Half of the man's body was inside the car and half of his body was outside,'' Pasha said. ``[The man] was punching him and was trying to take away his gun, so he handed it to me.''

Pasha held on to the officer's gun, and the officer subdued his attacker.

``He was fighting hard. I think I saved his life, but I don't feel like a hero,'' Pasha said.

Pasha said the officer suffered minor injuries. The attacker was taken to a hospital to be evaluatedfor injuries and was arrested.