Dang. Saw this story this morning. Quite the busy day for the felon . Looks in video at one point he has rifle to his chin threatening suicide. He then fires off a shot into the air. Curious on the communication that was taking place between officers before the ramming.
Police said Valencia, 36, held up a 7-Eleven convenience store in Tucson, started a fire at a church, and then broke into a home and stole a car and drove to a Walmart in Marana, a town northwest of Tucson.
Valencia allegedly asked a store worker if he could see a rifle and then used it as a club to bash a case and threaten the employee, and ran off with the rifle and a box of .30-30 ammunition, police said. He loaded the weapon and pointed it at an officer before firing instead into the air, and was struck by the police car as he approached a business, police said in a statement Tuesday.
Without knowing all the facts, I still believe ramming the perp with a the police car was better than the other option: shooting the perp and placing others at greater risk in the process.
I agree on ramming vs. open confrontation based upon the facts as I understand them at this point. Appears dude was even muzzle sweeping the officer in the car. Odds would be greatly stacked on a WAY worse outcome had this gone on.
As they say “play stupid games win stupid prizes”.
Chime in the progressive liberal narrative : “this is police brutality! they could have easily shot him in the leg or tried to de-escalate another way…”
Good work on the officers ending something that could have turned deadly for numerous officers and bystanders.
I agree. I trained new personnel to use the squad car before the service pistol when deadly force was justified and warranted.
If you spoke with veteran personnel who drove squad cars with hood ornaments, they would tell you that a hood ornament was not just for decoration, it also served it’s purpose as a front sight.
I agree. I trained new personnel to use the squad car before the service pistol when deadly force was justified and warranted.
If you spoke with veteran personnel who drove squad cars with hood ornaments, they would tell you that a hood ornament was not just for decoration. The hood ornament also made a very good front sight.
I have no issue with this but as a member of the tax paying society I am pissed off. Damage to the car, private property, who knows what else. And very bad PR. If he was that much of a threat I would just shoot and call it a day. But it is a judgment call and it worked.
Not sure that getting into a gunfight is a good choice. Given the low percentage of actual hits, pass throughs and other ways in which a projectile can end up in the wrong person I think the car was a good choice. That there was a one shot stop.
Irony: small child slips and falls on a street and dies while this effing asshole keeps breathing after being hit by a car.
I see what you are saying, work at the level you are comfortable with. Again, why I am not a LEO. I use a rifle and have shot people in the head once. It ends the situation rather fast.
Only in the hospital for 2 days? Really? What is this guy made out of rubber?
I understand your point, but if a LEO engages someone with a firearm and gets injured during the process there will be other costs. Breaking things instead of shooting is sometimes the better course of action.
In years past, my agency requested the court order the suspect to financially reimburse the department for damage to property incurred during a scuffle or other incident with police. If the suspect was a juvenile we would request the parents be ordered to reimburse for property damage.
A motor vehicle is a great threat stopper and LEO have a much better chance of hitting the target.
. Looks in video at one point he has rifle to his chin threatening suicide. He then fires off a shot into the air. Curious on the communication that was taking place between officers before the ramming.
