Stolen Police Car Chase Ends In Another Police Car Chase
Remember, when exiting your vehicle, even in a hurry, to not forget one key step.
Last week, a man running from police near Los Angeles died after jumping out of the police cruiser he had stolen mid-chase. This week, a woman has been arrested near L.A. for stealing another police cruiser, in what appears to be an alarmingly increasing wave of police car thefts. Fortunately, nobody passed away during today’s chase, but a police officer’s ego is badly bruised after forgetting to engage their own SUV’s parking brake before attempting the arrest, resulting in the officer having to break off from the suspect’s apprehension to chase down their own vehicle.
Cue the Benny Hill theme song and call the circusbecause it looks like these officers’ skills could be used elsewhere. The woman has been arrested following the high-speed pursuit from Compton to Orange County after allegedly stealing a Ford Explorer SUV police cruiser. Fox News reports the woman was caught wearing a “Security” T-shirt in the arrest, which may be how she managed to get into an unsupervised police vehicle and go on the run. The stolen vehicle had police weapons in the back, posing a serious security risk to the area.
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The chase came to an end in what appears to be an industrial park, after police executed a PIT maneuver to spin and disable, uh, their own vehicle (now the suspect’s vehicle). Video taken by the news feed of Twitter user @bubbaprog during the intense arrest revealed the responding officer’s mishap. The cop exits their vehicle, and before the door is even closed the SUV begins rolling backward. The officer rushes back to the vehicle to stop it from hitting another cruiser. It’s fair to say this was not the their finest day.
So far, there’s no report on exactly how, “security” T-shirt aside, the woman managed to get into an armored, armed police cruiser and drive away. Given the tragic outcome of last week’s stolen cruiser, you would think they would have worked extra hard to avoid something like that happening again, yet here we are just a week later.
‘Will never forget’: 10 years since officers fired 137 shots at car, killing 2
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CLEVELAND (WJW) – Tuesday marks exactly 10 years since one of Cleveland’s most notorious police-involved shootings, where 13 officers fired 137 shots into a car, killing two unarmed people.
Community activists and other local leaders held a rally to remember the victims of the shooting, which recently gained national attention through a Netflix documentary.
“One, two, three, four,” rallygoers began a countdown as part of the commemoration.Cleveland picks site for new police headquarters
Community activists and other local leaders gathered in the parking lot of W. H. Kirk Middle School in East Cleveland to remember 43-year old Timothy Russell and 30-year old Malissa Williams.
“Chased them from downtown Cleveland and then surrounded them in this parking lot and unceremoniously gunned them down with 137 bullets,” said Kathy Wray Coleman, of Imperial Woman Coalition.
The school was called Heritage Middle School in 2012. It’s where Timothy and Malissa ultimately lost their lives.
“I will never forget how the children said they felt when they came and saw the yellow tape, the car with all the bullet holes the next morning when they tried to go to school,” said Dr. Mary Rice, vice president of the East Cleveland Board of Education.
Ten years ago, on Nov. 29, Russell’s 1979 Chevy Malibu backfired as he sped past the Justice Center in downtown Cleveland.
An officer believed he was being shot at, which led to a 22-minute high speed chase through the city. At one point, it involved more than 60 police cruisers.
The chase ended when police cornered the vehicle in the middle school parking lot in East Cleveland. At that point ,13 officers opened fire, unloading 137 shots into the vehicle, killing both people inside.
No weapon was ever found.
“79, 80, reload, 81, 82,” the group continued their countdown.Investigators arrest couple in connection to Cleveland murder
“How do two people with no weapon get gunned down 137 times and nothing? Nobody went to jail for that at all,” said community activist Laura Cowan.
Only one of the 13 officers was criminally charged. Officer Michael Brelo jumped on the hood of the vehicle and fired 49 of the 137 shots. In May 2015, a Cuyahoga County judge acquitted him of voluntary manslaughter.
“There has been no war crime that we can think of where, from Bosnia or Afghanistan, someone was gunned down, on person, 137 times,” said Al Porter, Jr., president of Black on Black Crime, Inc.
“135, 136, 137. This was murder,” the group said as they finished the countdown.
Both families settled a wrongful death lawsuit with the city of Cleveland for a total of $3 million.
Russell’s sister, Michelle, told FOX 8, in part, ”The family appreciates all those that continue to shed light on what happened to both Tim and Malissa. We are grateful that people continue to march in order to ensure equal rights and justice for all.”
