A spontaneous chase between a Clayton County, Georgia police officer and a suspect in a Dodge Charger took a bizarre twist when the Mopar muscle car sideswiped the cops to get away. We know that sort of thing has happened before, but it’s what preceded the sideswiping that really has us just shaking our heads in disbelief.
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Before the chase, some officers were wrapping up a domestic violence call when they heard multiple gunshots nearby. As they got into their cars, dispatch said a drive-by shooting had been reported. One of the officers spotted the suspect’s vehicle at the entrance to an apartment complex and gave chase.
The Charger was far faster than the police cruiser, so it wasn’t much of a pursuit. Plus, his lieutenant called off the chase, probably because of department policy. Here’s the kicker: the suspect was going down a dead end. Police should’ve realized that and set up to contain the Dodge in case the guy didn’t get out and run away on foot.
Instead, the officer returned to the front of the apartment complex and parks next to his supervisor’s car so they can chat about what just transpired. While they’re doing this, the suspect comes blasting down the driveway and sideswipes the officer’s car so he can get away. How they didn’t even think such a thing could happen is beyond us, but we think it says a lot about how policing is done in Clayton County.
Chargers are heavy pigs, so it can easily throw its weight around. However, they can be difficult to control when not properly maintained and driven recklessly. This suspect found that out the hard way, crashing through a steel gate for a private property before taking off on foot. He should’ve just dumped the car and scampered away at the back of the apartment complex because the police gave up in the slowest, most pathetic attempt to stop him we’ve seen in some time.
This time around at least Clayton County police didn’t give up, so they actually caught the guy on foot. The 25-year-old suspect is now facing a string of charges, but we’re wondering if most won’t be dropped as prosecutors wheel and deal.
Check out the dashcam footage for yourself.
Was he then released on I bond? Or jailed until trial?
That was a high-performance car driven by a low-performance driver. LEOs spend many hours of training how to operate police cars at high speeds. Soon after learning their assigned vehicle, an officer’s stress level drops because he/she has become accustomed to their vehicle. That can’t be said of a criminal running from the law.
Just another criminal thinking he can do whatever he wants. His family will say he is a good kid. This time, the good guys got him. Our DA’s and judges need to get tough on crime.