We’ve seen a lot of brutal PIT maneuvers by Arkansas troopers and others, but this one out of West Memphis is one of the most hilarious so far. Not only does the trooper PIT the fleeing Hyundai Elantra hard enough the passenger falls out, the suspect reportedly dropped a stolen gun and drugs as he scrambled away on foot.
Watch a textbook-perfect PIT maneuver caught on camera.
This situation started with West Memphis Police performing a traffic stop on the suspect. The trooper responded to back up the officer, as you see in the dashcam footage, and it’s a good thing he did. Shortly after the traffic stop begins, the suspect takes off, leading the trooper and officer on a high-speed chase.
However, the combination of a girlfriend who looks like she’s more comfortable with the Dewy Decimal System than being behind the wheel of a getaway car and a gutless Hyundai Elantra is enough to allow the trooper to catch up in no time.
Maybe the female driver really doesn’t want to get away after all? She at first seems to be going pedal to the metal, but after turning into a neighborhood you can tell the Hyundai slows way down.
That hesitation, intentional or not, allows the trooper to set up for a nice, hard PIT maneuver. While the Hyundai isn’t traveling at a high rate of speed, it spins around rapidly as the cruiser pushes on the rear quarter panel.
It’s possible the driver slowed down because the front passenger wanted to jump out and run away on foot. That would explain why he fell out of the car. He didn’t have a seatbelt on, a common tactic many people running from police use so they can bail quickly and take their chances on foot. Plus, he might have already been opening his door when the sedan spun around, sending him rolling out like a ragdoll.
Either way, it’s hilarious to watch.
Image via Police Pursuits/YouTube
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