[VIDEO] Suspect rammed by speeding police car, the result is caught on tape.

by Scott Hounsell | April 15, 2015 2:16 pm

An Arizona man was severely injured after an Arizona police officer made a decision to hit him with his car.  The man was a danger to others and the officer sought to end the threat abruptly and immediately[1].  The video is shocking.

[2]

[ot-video type=”youtube” url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b8V3fxN-EM”]

Intense dash cam footage released Tuesday shows an Arizona officer intentionally ram his vehicle into an armed crime spree suspect during a Feb. 19 incident.

Marana police chief Terry Rozema said the move by officer Michael Rapiejko likely saved 36-year-old suspect Mario Valencia’s life, KOLD-TV reported[3].

The man’s lawyer, however, disagrees.

“Everything in the video seems to point towards an obvious excessive use of force. It is miraculous that my client isn’t dead,” attorney Michelle Cohen-Metzger told CNN[4].

Police say Valencia fled authorities after stealing a rifle from a local Walmart at approximately 9 a.m. in the morning, KOLD reported. The 36-year-old, suspected of being involved in three other crimes, threatened officers who approached him with suicide. In one instance, he fired a round from the gun into the air.”

“According to KOLD, Valencia was taken to a local hospital in serious condition. After two days of treatment, he was released and booked into jail. According to CNN, he faces 15 charges, including aggravated assault and three counts of armed robbery and possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited possessor.

Rozema justified the officer’s actions, contending the suspect was approaching a crowded area.”

The officer’s actions were indeed rash, but if my children were in that crowded area, I would want this guy stopped before he got anywhere near there!