Just after midnight, police were finishing up a motor vehicle stop at Manchester Street and Blue Hills Avenue when they saw Dwayne Powell, 26, of Hartford, and went to investigate, police said.

There have been several burglaries in the area, so police wanted to see what Powell was doing.

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When cops told him to stop, he ran and police chased him for about a block and a half, police said.

When the two officers caught up with Powell at Tower Avenue and Salisbury Street, he turned around and fired a gun, shooting the Officer Michael Bodner, 28, twice -- once in the arm and once in the leg, police said.

Powell was caught minutes later and taken into custody. He has been charged with attempted murder and assault on a police officer. His bond was set at $3 million and he is due in court on Thursday.

An acquaintance of Powell told NBC Connecticut that Powell said he never wanted to go back to jail and if police tried to arrest him again, there would be a problem.

Jordan Ellis, of Hartford heard the shots.

“I had turned the TV off and I heard six shots out of nowhere,” Ellis said. “I came outside, saw cops down the street and that's when my next door neighbor said they had a shooting.”

Daryl Roberts, chief of the Hartford Police Department, said he is pleased with how his officers handled themselves and they did a phenomenal job in apprehending the suspect.

Bodner, who has been on the job for less than a year, underwent exploratory surgery early Wednesday at St. Francis Hospital. He is a 1999 graduate of Glastonbury High School and served in the Marine Corps as a military police officer.

Powell was evaluated at the hospital as a precaution, police said. He was not shot.

Police said they did recover a weapon.

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