Dash Cam Shows Cop Intentionally Run Over an Armed Suspect With His Car

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Gabrielle Bluestone - Gawker



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b8V3fxN-EM

Cops claim an Arizona police officer acted of necessity when he slammed into an armed suspect with his car, sending the man flying into the air.

The incident was captured on several dash cams, thanks to a number of police vehicles that responded to the February 19 call for a man firing shots into the air with a shot gun.

According to CNN, that man—36-year-old Mario Valencia—had been involved in a string of crimes earlier that day.


At 6:45 a.m., Valencia robbed a 7-Eleven in Tucson with a metal object in his hand. Authorities said he was dressed only in his underwear.

He was charged with theft.

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

Just after that he entered a home and stole a car, police said.

Authorities said he drove to a Walmart where he stole a .30-30 rifle and ammunition. He fled the store with Walmart employees in pursuit.

A Marana lieutenant tells CNN Valencia pointed the rifle at officers, refused several requests to drop the weapon, and threatened to kill himself before Officer Michael Rapiejko stepped on the gas and slammed into him from behind.

The impact sent Valencia flying into the air, landing him in the hospital in serious condition. He was released two days later and transferred to jail.

Detractors question why, for example, that many officers couldn't establish a perimeter or try to negotiate with with Valencia.

But Tucson police chief says he supports Rapiejko, characterizing the hit as the best option he had and suggesting that it might have saved Valencia's life.

"If we're going to choose between maybe we'll let him go a little bit farther and see what happens, or we're going to take him out now and eliminate any opportunity he has to hurt somebody, you're going to err on the side of, in favor of the innocent people," Police Chief Terry Rozema told CNN. "Without a doubt."

[RBP]

Saw that video on CNN last night. Wild.

[Hal-9000]

holy crap


have we got the right guy???? :lol:

[DemonGeminiX]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=552694fa-0000-2545-8faa-001a113d25d8&feature=iv&src_vid=7b8V3fxN-EM&v=AGIJznCz0Kg

Different dash cam.

[Hal-9000]

amazing...that illustrates two completely different methods of handling a problem


wow

[Hugh_Janus]

wow.... get fuckin rekt

[Goofy]

Fuckin' awesome! :cheers: Just a shame the cunt survived :(

[FBD]

people like this were why rubber bullets were invented. how's about a few bean bags? nope, let's run this fucker over! way to go chief wiggum.

[Loser]

Yea, someone's suicidal, with an AR, randomly shooting.

I'm going to fire "rubber" bullets at him...:roll:

Should have saved the county the court case, and shot him. Would have only had a few brass casings to clean up after.

[FBD]

oh, now there's another ar15? :lol: call up CNN, they'll start passing the story around and it'll get written into the history books as a nice solid fact, just like sandy hook :tup:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

ABC News


A man who witnessed an Arizona police officer ramming a suspect with his patrol car defended the officer’s actions -- and said he worried a shootout could have ensued if the officer hadn't acted.

“If they got into a gunfight, there would have been rounds flying all over the place,” said David Lightfoot, who watched the situation unfold on Feb. 19 in front of his office.

Video from the incident gained national attention after it was released Tuesday. Dash cam footage from Marana Police Officer Michael Rapiejko’s car shows him ramming his vehicle into Mario Valencia, a suspect who had allegedly committed a string of crimes earlier that day.

Those crimes allegedly include robbing a 7-Eleven, breaking into a church and stealing a car. Valencia was also seen on camera allegedly stealing a rifle and ammunition from Walmart.

Valencia was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of armed robbery and unlawful discharge of a firearm.

Valencia was seen walking with a loaded rifle before he was struck by the police vehicle. Despite officers’ pleas to put the gun down, Valencia ignored those requests -- and fired the gun, according to the video.

Officers say they feared Valencia would shoot someone.

John Cohen, an expert in law enforcement and homeland security, defended the officer’s methods at subduing the suspect.

“The officers’ actions were unconventional, however, they were effective,” Cohen said. “He was able to stop a very violent situation and at the same time, do it in a way that protected his fellow officers, the public and even the suspect himself.”

But Valencia’s attorney, Michelle Cohen Metzger, says the circumstances don’t justify such a violent tactic.

“I think that there's all sorts of other things that the police have been trained on and could have done. The officer that used this tactic certainly went outside protocol in using that and I don't think that was the only means with which to have taken my client into custody,” Metzger said.

Rapiejko will not be charged in the matter, according to the local district attorney’s office.

Valencia was hospitalized for two days after the incident, according to police. He was charged aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of armed robbery and unlawful discharge of a firearm.

On Wednesday, the local district attorney's office decided not to charge Rapiejko.

"Given all of the circumstances of this case, there is insufficient evidence to prove that Officer Repiejko had the requisite criminal intent for aggravated assault," reads the letter from Pima County attorney Barbara LaWall to the police chief, dated March 31.

The letter details how Rapiejko came to the decision to hit Valencia.

"As Officer Rapiejko arrived in the area, he could see Mr. Valencia was headed toward some businesses," the letter reads. "There were also other officers in the area. Officer Rapiejko was approximately fifty yards away. Officer Rapiejko determined that Mr Valencia would be able to fire the gun quickly at businesses and therefore decided he needed to stop Mr. Valencia from proceeding any further."

[Goofy]

:cheers:

[Hal-9000]

that dude was flyin in the cop car


:lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwb9-OlQimc

[Hal-9000]

bad Lance, bad

:lol:

[Arkady Renko]

poor cops just can't catch a break. They shoot people, everyone is on their backs. Now they try running them over instead, it's not right either. Some people are hard to please.

[Pony]

that dude was flyin in the cop car


:lol:

Yea, I think he planned on skidding to a stop into the guy knocking him down but over did it.

[Hal-9000]

or maybe didn't realize the stone fence was there?


did you catch him give the other officer shit who was walking about no vest and gun?


he was on a mission :lol:

[Pony]

It just sounded like he was hard on the brakes right before he hit. Unfortunately it's hard to stop when your wheels are in the air bouncing over a curb. :lol:

Guy should be thanking the cops for not unloading on him. A two day hospital stay is nothing compared to being full of bullet holes.

[Hal-9000]

Yeah he had that gun under his chin and then let off a round.....probably would have been handled differently if he didn't take a shot in front of the cops..

[Hal-9000]

morbid as I am....those two videos provide a great perspective on the action :thumbsup:

[DemonGeminiX]

The first thing I said when I saw the original video: "There's gotta be another dash cam vid out there with a better view"... and it was in the batch of next videos after the first one was done playing.

:lol:

[FBD]

its too bad nobody ever finds out the origination of these sorts of drugs and shit.

like who invented them

and who they worked for

on of their main successes was the flood in opium production after the "successful" mission accomplished

but that's just one in a loooong string

[deebakes]

fuckin' obama :x