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Arizona police car runs down armed suspect


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Certainly brought that incident to a halt. A person with a machete was hit by a police car in my force going back a few years, worked then..!

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Found the dashcam footage from the car that ran him down;

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2JEk3yvdyw

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Well I think that pretty much conclusively stopped him.

 

Need some more information before justification can be decided, had he already shot someone? was he threatening to go and shoot someone? was the a school just ahead of him he was going toward?

 

Depending on the circs it could be justified.

 

pretty dramatic all the same though.

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Police released video that shows an Arizona officer running over an armed suspect last month, sparking a debate over whether the cop saved the man's life or used excessive force.

The video, released on Tuesday, was recorded on the dashboard cameras of two Marana police vehicles as they chased suspect Mario Valencia, who was on allegedly on a crime spree on February 19, CNN reports. In it, Valencia can be seen walking away from the patrol vehicle and firing a shot in the air from a rifle he is accused of stealing from a Walmart earlier that day.

An officer can be heard on video telling another cop to stand down as he approaches Valencia, but Marana Police Officer Michael Rapiejko guns it in his vehicle, slamming into Valencia from behind.

"Oh!" the officer in the video exclaims. "Jesus Christ, man down."

Valencia was taken to University of Arizona Medical Center in serious condition,according to KOLD. He stayed there two days before he was booked into jail.

Tucson Police Sgt. Pete Dugan said that Valencia had committed a series of violent robberies, according to CNN.

At 6:45 a.m., Valencia robbed a 7-Eleven with a metal object in his hand. He was charged with theft.

A little more than an hour later, police said, Valencia set a fire at a church and was charged with arson of an occupied structure.

Just after that he entered a home and stole a car, police said, adding that he later stole a gun in Marana.

Valencia faces at least 15 charges.

 
 

The suspect's attorney says there was no need to ram him with a car.

"Everything in the video seems to point towards an obvious excessive use of force. It is miraculous that my client isn't dead," said attorney Michelle Cohen-Metzger.

The incident comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of police around the nation, from both federal and civilian groups, after several videos made the rounds showing police in other instances of brutal, fatal, and sometimes illegal situations.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/14/officer-runs-over-suspect_n_7066814.html

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Leeeeroooooy Jenkins!

 

:lol:

 

Totally off topic but 100% appropriate in this instance.  For those in the know that is.

 

:clapping:

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Seems to bring a new meaning to the idea that if you hit someone its to stop them - guess that also applies is you suddenly park a Crown Vic on top of them.  (Yes I know the ped went up and onto the w//screen)

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He's got a gun.

He's a dangerous felon.

His gun is loaded.

He has just fired it in public.

Justified, end of, let's not waste US taxpayers' money even looking into it further.

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what's the alternative, the cops get out and risk not returning to their families that night for this waste of oxygen? fudge that!

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The BBC news article also states the male had threatened to shoot himself. As Mersey pointed out above, a man armed with a loaded rifle walking down the street, when combined with threats to kill self and others, the other option would be to open fire! 

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The second video starts with the cop in the vehicle that rammed him shouting "Stop running towards it dumbass, you don't have a gun or a vest on".  I'm not sure who that was directed at.  Perhaps there was someone else (MOP?) who was running to tackle the guy with the gun, despite the police presence?  If so, that might explain the decision to suddenly pass the vehicle in front and run him over to disarm him.

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The second video starts with the cop in the vehicle that rammed him shouting "Stop running towards it dumbass, you don't have a gun or a vest on".  I'm not sure who that was directed at.  Perhaps there was someone else (MOP?) who was running to tackle the guy with the gun, despite the police presence?  If so, that might explain the decision to suddenly pass the vehicle in front and run him over to disarm him.

I personally don't believe the cop did anything wrong, his solicitor can bleat on as much as he like I can't see an issue with the actions taken. South Yorkshire Police ran an armed suspect over last year and frankly I'd consider doing the same if ever faced with a suspect armed with a firearm.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2694706/Cyclist-spotted-waving-gun-arrested-police-use-4x4-vehicle-knock-bike.html

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provides some more context for both cars

Edited by QuiteSpecial
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