A dashcam video released this week shows a US police officer deliberately running over an armed suspect, an action that police chiefs say saved lives. The incident occurred on February 19 and involved 36-year-old Mario Valencia, who had allegedly robbed a shop, set fire to a church, stolen a car and a gun, and threatened to shoot an officer.
The footage, captured from two different perspectives, shows Valencia firing a shot into the air. Officers in one car can be heard shouting, “Stand down!” on the police radio. Seconds later, another police car driven by Officer Michael Rapiejko ploughs into Valencia, sending him flying before crashing into a wall. “Jesus Christ – man down,” an officer in the first car is heard saying as they rush to Valencia, who survived the crash.
Police Chief Terry Rozema defended the use of deadly force, telling CNN that the situation merited such action. “If we’re going to choose between letting him go a little bit farther and seeing what happens, or taking him out now and eliminating any opportunity he has to hurt somebody, you’re going to err on the side of the innocent people,” he said.
However, Valencia’s lawyer, Michelle Cohen-Metzger, called it “miraculous” that her client survived and argued that the video points to “an obvious excessive use of force.” The case has sparked debate over police tactics and the use of vehicles as weapons.
