Today is the day that I registered my step children for school at the middle school. Today is also the day that I was made a key witness, and the kids and I were almost mowed down by a speeding wanted criminal driving BACKWARD through the pickup lane in front of the middle school. That the guy was on the run from a domestic dispute and decided for some reason to speed backward through the ‘U’ shaped space out front of the middle school. The pickup lane out front of the school as lined with many cars of the parked parents, creating many blind sports.
While the kids and I were crossing the street to go to our car, we heard a screech of tires. Because of the previous mentioned parked cars we couldn’t see what was going on. That suddenly out in front of us in the parking lot a teal old beat up car shot out in front of us driving backward and slammed into the cars right in front of us at high speed. The driver then, without a car for what he hit or that he narrowly missed us proceeded to drive forward, trying to run over the police officer who was on foot chasing the car. The police officer ran to the parked cars and onto the grass, and from there pulled his gun in self defense.
The officer got alongside the car quickly and ordered the man to stop the car. The car didn’t stop, until he noticed that the police officer had parked his car ahead, effectively blocking him in from going forward to escape. Even still, the police officer had to order the man to stop many times. When the car finally stopped the rampaging man proceeded to play innocent and naïve. He was not co-operating with the arrest, and it took two more officers who arrived as backup to cuff him. That a combined three officers had to get the man cuffed and on his feet for a search.
During this all, I recalled my camera phone. I also remembered how easy it is for people to sue the police for “brutality”. Grateful to the officer who had stopped the rampage, I proceeded to take photos of the arrest and cuffing as it happened. The officers were being professional. These photos show the officers being professional, and not abusing the man. I wanted to protect the officers from a false law suit, so the photos I took were of various stages in the arrest that all demonstrate their professionalism.
The entire time during the cuffing and search the man kept making comments such as “I didn’t do anything wrong!” , “Why are you picking on me?” , “What did I do?!”. He even had the nerve to look at me and ask me what he did wrong. The man who almost ran me and my stepchildren over, in a school zone during school registration while driving backward at high speed, asked me what he did wrong….
During search, it was found that the man did not have an id or drivers license. That the car was not his and maybe stolen, he had several warrants out for his arrest, and no drivers insurance. Additionally, he had a large sum of cash on him in 20s, that looks fairly suspect.
So I made my police report, and informed the officers I had photos of the arrest going down.
Later in the day, I received a phone call from the officer who is handling the case. That, it seems that the man who was arrested is now claiming racism and police brutality. That the very photos I took to protect the police officers from such a law suit and claim….are needed just for that. Because of my photos, the police will be able to effectively prove their innocence and that they did not brutalize the man.
The moral of the story - you never know when it is your time to die. Who would have thought walking out of school registration that my life was on the line? Additionally, use your phone camera for great justice.
this is why COPS is my favorite tv show.
While I do not know the particulars of the suspect cited here, OhioKimono, my own experience is that most serious criminals go into a default "What did I do?" or "You got the wrong person!" mode when caught. Very few 'fess up to their crimes on the scene, and most only show a token remorse during sentencing.
Glad you and your kids were not hurt.
Thank god for a upright citizens such as you. Most would ignore what happened or worse yet maybe through feelings of fellowship of race feel compelled to take the criminals side. Im sure a lot of it is because you were almost a victim as well, but for some reason I think you would of acted the same even if you weren't.
I can't believe that the idiot who was arrest...and saw me taking photos of the 100% legal abuse-free arrest has the nerve to claim police brutality and that he is going to sue.
LineCrosser - no man, even if it were not for the near miss I care. If there had been police brutality I would report it. If not, I will defend the innocent police. the bottom lin eis the officers were professional and did their job. My photos are going to be used to defend them.
I had a feeling you would feel that way, its why I said i thought you would still have acted as you did.
Im glad you were there to defend the police, Im confidant you would of come to the mans aid just as fast if there had been police brutality.
What kind of animal does that in a school lane, with children everywhere? This man is disgusting - its horrible. Then, for him ti cry "BRUTALITY" when there was none...how sickening.
Very glad you and your kids are safe. It's a tough world out there but kind people like yourself do make it more enjoyable.
Karma is a good thing, and glad you were able to help protect the officers from a troubled individual.
Glad you and other innocent people are safe. The sad reality of it is that this scumbag will find an attorney to sue the police. Just as soon as anyone files a police report for an accident, attorneys contact you wanting to represent you for a lawsuit.
I thank you also for getting involved. As a fellow citizen, it takes a lot to get involved, but people don't get involved, nothing will ever change.
I hope something positive comes your way from all of this.
What if the police beat him after he was taken from the scene? What if his booking photo shows injuries that your photos do not show? Will you still testify?
OhioKimono, I'm glad that you and yours were not hurt and that you could relate to us what you witnessed.
On the cellphone camera thing... as an amateur photographer, I have gotten used to carrying around a small point-n-shoot camera (a Canon G10) AND I also carry an small SD memory based Panasonic SDR S26 camcorder, at all times. Both of them together, fit in a camera bag that is smaller than a brown bag lunch. I'd use my camera phone, but it's of terrible quality.
It's fortunate nobody was injured and everyone gets to have dinner tonite. This guy just won't have a choice in what that will be. Since he was alone this isn't appropriate, but am fond of "some other dude did it" defense.
JohnnyMac - then my photos of him during the arrest in otherwise good condition will help the case. I very much doubt this is the case however.
I am glad you weren't hurt, and that this scumbag is off the streets. That was pretty quick thinking to grab your camera.
It's nice that the police realized that your photos and eyewitness testimony will actually help them do their job. (It's unfortunate that in some places, cops are hassling people for videotaping them in public. If you're doing your job OK, you should not have a problem with it.)
What a horribly scary thing to have happened. I'm so glad this didn't turn into a tragedy of more than just damaged cars.
Good for you on your quick thinking!
Here's one of the pics taken. you can see how crowded it is, that the school is busy with all the parents and children arriving for registration.
That's the space he was driving backwards through? In a school zone with lots of pedestrians?
Holy crap - its amazing that someone didn't get hurt.
Mom2, yup.
He was going through at a high speed, backward. Hit two cars, about took me and the kids out. Tried running over a police officer...
great quality picture for a camera phone. Must be a good phone. Glad everything turned out OK and nobody was injured.
Glad you weren't hurt.
Personally, I think the sob could USE a little brutality.
OhioKimono - great story. If you want to share it with a local news affiliate, give me a call. 419-261-1579.
OIOKIMONO - I admire your ability to react with good critical thinking skills under such an unexpected and dangerous event. I doubt if I would have been composed enough to react as well. You kept your wits. I probably would have wet my pants.
The suspect sounds like he has a lot of experience with the legal system.
1. His loud protestations of innocence are useful when filing an abuse charge. He might be able to get enough witnesses who only saw his protests, and not his actual arrest or misbehavior.
2. He was obviously caught in the middle of a drug deal. Or, he's angling for 6mo in the county lockup, to sit out the winter in relative comfort. But he'd need to be out when it warms up, to get back into the drug trade.
3. The abuse charge is just a tool for convincing an overworked prosecutor to let his case off.
I'm still quite naive when it comes to these things, please note. I still don't understand the mentality of the people who do these things. They are constantly gaming the system. They are constantly doing very illegal things. They live so far outside our common morality that I just can't identify with them.
Still, that same morality dictates that we honor their civil rights. He is entitled to due process.
Guestzero
1) He wont. I and only 1 other person were the witnesses and we saw everything he did.
2) Drug deal, and fleeing from the scene of domestic dispute where I think he beat on his girlfriend or wife.
3) Disgusting, ain't it? Thus the power of photos.
Good job, OhioKimono. I'm glad you and your children are safe.
So, just got back from court. The case will not go to trial, that he pleaded guilty in the face of overwhelming evidence.
What I heard regarding the guy was some of the following: he had 7 warrents out for his arrest, had just been involved in domestic abuse, is now being held on felony assult on a police officer among other things, they pulled out over $1,000 from the car he had as well as drugs...that he was dealing drugs
Thanks for the update O-K. I was out of town when you posted this thread originally, and didn't read it until now. It sounds like your step-kids witnessed something pretty scary and chaotic; I hope they are all right.
Hope this guy gets locked up for a long time. I'm all for rehabilitation for people who "make mistakes" and then re-enter society, but such a myriad of crimes and such wanton disregard for children in a school zone (not to mention his wife or girlfriend) makes me want to keep this guy out of my community for a long, long time.
They should put that animal down