Video shows Arizona police intentionally run over suspect

[Jazzy]

Arizona police released video showing an officer using his cruiser to intentionally run over a suspect, triggering new questions about what critics call excessive use of force by officers in the US.

In the dashcam video released Tuesday, a gunshot is heard before suspect Mario Valencia is seen walking down a street in the town of Marana on February 19 with a rifle.

He is seen firing a shot in the air and then proceeding down the street as police slowly trail him in their vehicles.

Then a police car driven by officer Michael Rapiejko is caught on the dashcam rushing past and slamming into Valencia from the back before plowing into a cinderblock wall.

Valencia survived the collision.

Marana police chief Terry Rozema defended the action, saying Valencia had refused to obey officers' commands to put down the rifle and was approaching an office building.


"We can't allow him to get to the point where he enters the office complex. We can't allow him the opportunity to take somebody in the parking lot hostage to do a carjacking."

"It's graphic, it's violent, but at the same token it warranted deadly force given all of the circumstances," he said, adding that the police officer "would have been completely justified in shooting this individual."

The dramatic incident capped a crosstown crime spree, according to police, which say Valencia was fleeing from a Walmart store where he had stolen the rifle.

An investigation is underway to see whether he is also linked to earlier crimes in Tucson.

Source

Thoughts?

 

[DirtRider]

This gives more detail

 

[DrLeftover]

"Valencia wasn't a threat to anybody and was on his way to a birthday party... ... yeah, that's it, he was going to use the rifle as a prop at a party when pretended to shoot balloon animals. Right? Of course right."

 

[mrldii]

The report I heard indicated he'd been a crime-spree most of the day, including stealing the rifle and shells he was randomly firing into the air from a local Wal-Mart; he'd threatened to kill himself with it, too.

I have no problems with cops using whatever method is necessary to neutralize people with loaded weapons who are randomly firing them into the air; I have no problems with cops NOT getting out to confront the idiot with the loaded, stolen, and firing gun

all the while hoping their bullet-proof vest will keep them safe...and alive. Sooner or later, that cop was probably going to be on HIS way to a birthday party, too...maybe even one for his own child.

 

[Jazzy]

Great job to the cop! Risky move but it was also extremely stupid for a man to take a gun and parade down the street shooting it too. What was his goal in doing that?? Expect bad when you do bad. The criminal thug got exactly what he asked for. He asked to be put down one way or another upon picking up that gun, shooting it while ignoring the cops and being an idiot walking down the street acting thuggish in general. He is lucky he's alive after that stunt. That's not police brutality. That's a cop stopping a threat to countless innocent individuals and businesses.

Only way it could have worked out better is if he hit him harder and he landed back in Mexico.