Cash Van Runs Over Suspect

[1stWatch]

Johannesburg, South Africa:
The driver of an armored van ran over a suspect after being robbed.

http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_1897317,00.html

Nice maneuver. I used it once too.

[Guest]

A similar situation happened to two LAPD officers in the late 1970's.

The officers, in full uniform and driving a marked black and white, observed a drug deal go down. The officers made a traffic stop on the buyer. As the officers approached the suspect car, the buyer came out of his car and opened fire on the officer approaching him. It seems that the suspect did not realize that there were two officers. The officer was hit twice, but both bullets were stopped by the officer's body armor.

Both officers returned fire, stricking the suspect multiple times. The suspect fell to the ground, seriously injured, but still shooting at the officers. The injured officer made his way back to the patrol car, put out a help call, then drove the patrol car on top of the suspect. It was being struck by the patrol car that finally killed the suspect, not the officer's bullets. At that time the LAPD was still using lead, round-nose, .38 rounds in their revolvers. The suspect, by the way, was armed with a single-action .44 revolver and was able to fire a total of 12 rounds, reloading once, in about 30 seconds.

This officer involved shooting is still taught at the LAPD academy as an example of the "will to survive" and an acceptable use of a patrol car in a deadly force situation.

[1stWatch]

One guy I worked with used the security vehicle to hit a suspect so he wouldn't run onto the freeway while fleeing. His injuries were only bruise deep.