Video shows Arizona police officer intentionally runs over suspect

April 15, 2015 in News, Video by RBN Staff

Source: Press TV
Wed Apr 15, 2015 6:15AM

In this frame from a dash cam video provided by Arizona Police Department, a police vehicle nears Mario Valencia before hitting him.

In this frame from a dash cam video provided by Arizona Police Department, a police vehicle nears Mario Valencia before hitting him.

A police officer in the US state of Arizona intentionally ran over an armed suspect last month with his vehicle in the latest case of excessive force by police, a newly released video shows.

Police Officer Michael Rapiejko slammed his car into 36-year-old Mario Valencia in the video that was released on Tuesday.

Police claimed that it saved the man’s life because he was armed with a stolen rifle and was suicidal.

But the man’s lawyer strongly disagrees. “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.

“I find it ludicrous to say that we’re saving this man’s life who’s suicidal by almost killing him,” she said.

The incident was recorded February 19 on the dashboard camera of two police cars that were following Valencia in Marana, Arizona, located about 25 miles (40 km) northwest of Tucson.

The video shows the officer running the man over and his windshield smashing as the car hits a concrete wall. Valencia was taken to hospital in serious condition but released two days later into police custody.

 

Tucson Police Sergeant Peter Dugan said Valencia was involved in several criminal incidents in Tucson the day he was struck.

Former US Secret Service agent Dan Bongino told CNN that the suspect had to be stopped but not with a vehicle running into him.

“I have to question this tactic a bit,” he said. “I think setting up a secure perimeter and at least making some attempt to negotiate may have been far more efficient.”

The incident comes at a time of increased scrutiny of police across the US after several videos were released showing police in other instances of illegal, brutal and fatal situations.

A cell phone video was released last week showing an officer in North Charleston, South Carolina firing multiple times at an African-American man as he ran away, sparking outrage around the country.

AHT/AGB