ADVISORY: THE VIDEO CONTAINS IMAGES AND LANGUAGE THAT MAY BE DISTURBING TO SOME VIEWERS.
Was it the work of a quick-thinking hero cop who may have prevented an armed suspect from shooting people, including himself? Or did the split-second decision by a patrol officer in Marana, Ariz., represent police brutality as he rammed his cruiser at high speed into Mario Valencia?
That’s the emotion-packed debate that’s been sparked as authorities have released startling dashcam footage from officer Michael Rapiejko’s patrol car.
According to a post on The Blaze: “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.”
Officials in Marana say that the man whom the officer rammed with his vehicle has been booked into jail after treatment at the hospital.
CNN reports that the suspect now faces a host of charges: “Valencia faces 15 charges, including three counts of aggravated assault, three counts of armed robbery and possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited possessor.”
Valencia’s lawyer claims that his client was the victim of excessive force by police: “‘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.”
You can watch the dashcam footage from the police car that sped into Valencia by clicking on the video below. ADVISORY: THE VIDEO CONTAINS IMAGES AND LANGUAGE THAT MAY BE DISTURBING TO SOME VIEWERS.
This post originally appeared on Western Journalism – Informing And Equipping Americans Who Love Freedom
Read More and Comment: SHOCKING: Watch The Just-Released Police Dashcam Video That’s Sparked A Hero/Villain Debate
