ORLANDO, Fla. — A man in custody in connection with the live-streaming of an attack on two Orlando Police officers Saturday faced a Central Florida judge Sunday. 

What You Need To Know

  • William McClish is accused of attacking officers, setting up livestream

  • McClish, 27, faces eight charges

  • Police chief decries violence, says suspects must be prosecuted

  • More Orange County headlines

According to Orlando Police, William McClish, 27, set up his cell phone to record video in downtown Orlando early Saturday morning before assaulting the officers without warning. 

McClish faces eight charges, included attempted murder of a law enforcement officer.

This is the second attack on law enforcement officers over the course of a week.

Video released by the Orlando Police Department on Saturday appears to show a man walking up behind an Orlando Police Department patrol car at the corner of Magnolia and Washington. The man then appears to pick something up before beginning to attack one of the officers. 

Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolón said one officer has a significant facial injury. The other was bit and nearly had his eye gouged out in the attack, Rolon said.

William McClish, 27 (Photo from Orlando Police Department)

In a statement released on Twitter on Saturday, Rolón said, “Our officers will recover from their injuries, but individuals like this who take premeditated steps to harm law enforcement officers and other human beings must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

Adam Krudo, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 25, said the attack on police is shocking. 

“It’s appalling and disturbing to see someone setting up their phone and taking over two minutes after it’s set up before they actually initiate their attack," Krudo said. "It’s clear that this person was thinking about this, whether they were mustering up the courage to do it or what have you, at the very least to say it’s disturbing.”

McClish’s criminal record shows dozens of previous run-ins with the law, and Krudo said he’s concerned that people with such a criminally dangerous past are able to be out on the streets.

“I don’t know how it’s considered justice when we allow these criminals that run around out here with extensive criminal histories, many of them violent, and we allow them to just go free," Krudo said. "We can’t say, I mean let’s be honest, are we surprised that we see these attacks? This is what happens with a lack of prosecution.”

Authorities said Saturday's incident happened a little more than three days after another pair of officers was fired upon at random by a group of individuals.

That happened Tuesday afternoon at South Lakeland Avenue and Jacobs Place.

Three people in that case are in custody.

Following Saturday's attack, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer came out in support of local law enforcement.