Suspect steals LAPD cruiser, drags cop alongside until he crashes into other vehicles, causing more injuries

Suspect steals LAPD cruiser, drags cop alongside until he crashes into other vehicles, causing more injuries



Over the weekend, a man seized the opportunity to steal a vehicle owned by the Los Angeles Police Department and took it on a short joyride that resulted in injuries to one cop and two civilians.

Around 3:30 a.m. on Sunday, a female officer was working security detail at Oceanwide Plaza, about a mile and a half outside Downtown L.A. While the officer was either sitting inside or standing near her police-issued SUV, a man suddenly hopped inside and began driving, dragging the officer alongside as she attempted to stop the carjacking.

The suspect in the police SUV 'plowed into multiple other cars and scooters before crashing into a pole.'

Despite the cop clinging dangerously the vehicle, the suspect apparently sped away at frightening speed. One witness reported seeing the cop car "flying" down the street at "60 to 70 mph ... with no lights."

Other officers in the area gave chase, and the suspect drove the police cruiser a few blocks before crashing into at least one other vehicle at the intersection of West Eighth and Figueroa Streets.

Video of the scene taken by KABC-TV shortly after the crash shows one vehicle with a mangled back end and a police SUV on top of a curb near a bike rack. The video also shows a third vehicle, a red van, parked in the middle of the street with obvious damage to the front end. KABC-TV did not mention a third vehicle involved, but the Post indicated that the suspect in the police SUV "plowed into multiple other cars and scooters before crashing into a pole."

The suspect then got out of the vehicle and ran away on foot. He was apprehended soon afterward and arrested.

Meanwhile, the officer "was ejected from the vehicle" at some point, a department statement said, either while the vehicle was in motion or from the force of the collisions. Thankfully, she suffered only minor injuries that are not considered to be life-threatening, the department said. As of Monday morning, her condition was listed as "stable," the AP reported.

Two other people were inside one of the vehicles struck by the cop car driven by the suspect. Both also sustained injuries that are not considered to be life-threatening and were treated at a nearby hospital.

The identities of the injured officer and the suspect have not been released. Police also have not released what charges the suspect may be facing, the New York Post reported.

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Man holds at gunpoint suspected car thief until cops arrive; sources say he chased down suspect



A man chased down a suspected car thief last week in Maui and held her at gunpoint until police arrived, Hawaii News Now reported.

The station's story also noted that the incident raises continuing "concerns over concealed carry laws."

What are the details?

Hawaii News Now said a video "appears to show a Maui police officer arresting a woman while a man in plain clothes points a gun at her."

Hawaii Firearms Coalition Director Andrew Namiki Roberts told the station, “It’s a 45-second video. It is at the point of arrest. We don’t know what’s happened before that. But based on the video, and the way the person with the firearm is interacting with the police officer, it makes me believe that the person didn’t do anything wrong."

Maui Police told Hawaii News Now that the man seen holding the gun in the video isn't with the department and that the incident is "under review/investigation."

The station said sources indicated the man holding the gun chased down the woman who was driving a stolen vehicle in Wailuku on Feb. 11.

Roberts added to Hawaii News Now that the main reason why those with concealed carry permits can legally draw their guns is if their lives are in danger.

“In that situation, if the police officers arrived, maybe put your firearm away," Roberts told the station in regard to the video showing the man holding the gun. "The police officer has the situation under control, maybe there’s no need for you to have your firearm out at that point. That’s just a safety aspect for everybody involved.”

Roberts added to Hawaii News Now that "of course, we’re not going to recommend vigilantism. Don’t go chasing down looking for criminals. Vigilantism isn’t something that we would like to see. If you see a stolen vehicle, you’re probably better off calling the police, letting them come in and handle it instead of trying to detain a person.”

Anything else?

The station said arrest records indicate the 31-year-old woman was arrested for driving a stolen vehicle and that police records show she later was released pending further investigation. Hawaii News Now said it's unclear whether the man with the gun faced any charges.

Maui man uses gun to detain suspect, raising questions about concealed carry laws in Hawaii youtu.be

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Nude Florida man arrested after wild chase in stolen school bus with a dead deer in the back



Pennsylvania police arrested a Florida man driving a stolen school bus with a dead deer in the back following a wild, multi-county pursuit, multiple outlets reported.

"Not only is it a felony because it’s a vehicle but the new part you add into it now, were there any children inside? Did the male stop to pick up any children?" Carroll Township Police Department's Chief Thomas Wargo told WPMT. "None of that was known at the time."

"The cop was blocking both lanes and then when it opened up a little bit, I was filming and was able to see the bus going over the embankment there and hoping there were no kids in it," Jodi Leininger, a witness to part of the dangerous chase, told the outlet.

No children were aboard the bus and no one was injured during the chase, Chief Wargo also said.

Tony Jay Saunders, a 25-year-old man from Port Saint Lucie, Florida, was charged with fleeing an officer, receiving stolen property, resisting arrest, and reckless driving, CBS News reported.

CTPD officers received a call at about 7:10 a.m. Tuesday regarding a bus that had been reported stolen from Abbottstown, Pennsylvania. Patrol officers spotted the bus driving through a Giant Foods and Rite Aid parking lot and said the lights on the bus were intermittently flicking on and off.

Authorities caught up with the stolen bus near the Mechanicsburg/Bowmansdale exit on Route 15, where they attempted a traffic stop.

After eventually pulling over, the bus "nearly immediately" pulled away. The driver then exited the highway and drove over a berm, nearly overturning the bus in the process, police said.

The driver then turned into a nearby neighborhood in Lower Allen Township. Police say he abandoned the bus and fled on foot into a wooded area.

Bystanders told police the man was wearing a black sweatshirt and provided addition physical description. The fleeing man led police through parking lots and a busy traffic area, police also said.

As he fled, he stripped his clothing. After being apprehended in the nude, he reportedly admitted to police that he had taken the bus earlier in the day after crashing a BMW.

Saunders told police he planned to use the dead deer he put in the back of the bus to fertilize his garden.

Saunders was held at the York County Prison following his arrest, according to KATV.

Watch WPMT's footage of the bus nearly overturning as the driver flees police below.



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'Visibly intoxicated' man enters still-running parked vehicle with three boys inside, leads cops on high-speed chase as kids call 911 to give location updates



A "visibly intoxicated" man over the weekend entered a parked vehicle with its engine still on — and with three boys inside — and then led police on a high-speed chase as the kids called 911 to give location updates, authorities said.

What are the details?

Police told WHP-TV the suspect — 44-year-old Jason Harris — allegedly stole the vehicle Sunday from a Walmart parking lot in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

He did so after the boys' father got out of the vehicle to go inside the Walmart, the Kansas City Star reported.

Police told WHP that Harris drove the stolen vehicle at high speeds, and the children inside pleaded with him to slow down.

State troopers told WHTM-TV the children also called 911 from the vehicle and communicated where they were headed. WHP said that information helped troopers pinpoint the vehicle's location.

One of the kidnapped boys told 911 he was in a vehicle with a driver “he believed was drunk,” state police said in an affidavit, according to the Star, which added that troopers who tried to catch up were traveling at speeds over 120 miles per hour.

At one point, the driver struck a curb, causing “significant damage," the paper said, adding that troopers soon caught up to the vehicle and boxed it in.

“I opened the door and gave him verbal commands to get out,” one of the troopers wrote in the affidavit, the Star reported. “As he did, the vehicle kept rolling forward until he put it into park.”

More from the paper:

The driver, who was “visibly intoxicated,” was handcuffed, authorities said. Troopers observed “he had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage about his breath ... as well as glassy blood shot eyes.”

Authorities said they asked him how drunk he was, and he replied “really drunk, I’ve been drinking a lot man.”

The driver admitted he stole the vehicle because he ran out of gas and needed to get to Harrisburg, about 40 miles northeast of Gettysburg, according to court records. He said he was heading there to buy heroin, according to the records.

The driver said he heard kids in the vehicle but continued driving anyway, authorities told the Star. The three children in the backseat were unharmed, WHP reported.

Harris was charged with three counts of kidnapping a minor, endangering the welfare of children, fleeing or attempting to elude officers, DUI/unsafe driving, and other traffic offenses, WHTM said, adding that he was sent to Adams County Prison after being unable to post $50,000 bail.

Three children kidnapped at Gettysburg Walmart, suspect chargedyoutu.be

Man vs. machine: Oregon man reportedly attempts to evade police using construction excavator



An Oregon man was arrested after he led police on a slow-speed chase — in a construction excavator.

On Sunday, the Washington County Sheriff's Office reported that deputies arrested Jesse B. Shaw after he attempted to elude them in the construction excavator he had been driving when they arrived. Police say Shaw drove the excavator a half of a mile before he was apprehended by the deputies, who had been walking behind him.

\u201cDeputies knew Jesse B. Shaw had three warrants and was wanted for stealing a car. They found him at a property north of Banks, driving this excavator and he ignored commands to surrender. Shaw drove the excavator over half a mile with deputies following on foot until he stopped\u201d
— Washington County Sheriff\u2019s Office (Oregon) (@Washington County Sheriff\u2019s Office (Oregon)) 1660524820

Police say that there were several warrants out for Shaw's arrest. He was wanted for delivery of methamphetamine in Clackamas County, a state parole board violation, for stealing a car, and for eluding police in Columbia County.

The stolen car charges had been issued against Shaw on Friday.

When police spotted Shaw on the excavator in Banks, Oregon, in Washington County, they say he ignored several requests to exit the machine and surrender. WFTV reports that Shaw eventually stopped the excavator and was then taken into custody.

Though the top speed of the excavator in question is not known, the video tweeted by police indicates they were able to keep pace with the excavator by walking briskly. It is not known whether Shaw submitted to arrest without further incident, but an additional charge of possession of a stolen vehicle was assessed against him on Monday.

It appears Shaw is being held on $2,250 bond. He turns 40 on August 26.

Police have not issued any further information about the arrest.

Banks is a remote town in Oregon, approximately 24 miles from Portland.

2 teens dead, 3 hospitalized after stolen vehicle police chase ends with SUV split completely in half



A police chase of a stolen vehicle involving five juveniles ended in a horrific crash this week, with two teenagers dead and three hospitalized — and the SUV they had stolen split completely in half.

What are the details?

KARE-TV reported that the incident began Wednesday evening in Minneapolis, when a Mercedes SUV was reported stolen near 12th Avenue North and Fremont Avenue. Police later described the incident as an armed carjacking.

Several hours later, at approximately 2 a.m. Thursday morning, police in nearby Robbinsdale located the vehicle and attempted to detain the suspects, but they drove off and a high-speech chase ensued.

"The chase moved from Robbinsdale into northeast Minneapolis, where the driver of the SUV lost control near the intersection of Lowry Avenue and Hayes Street," the outlet reported, adding that "the crash tore the Mercedes in half, with the two sections landing on opposite ends of the intersection."

MINNEAPOLIS: 2 killed in deadly police chase: 5 juveniles in stolen SUV that split in half at Lowry & Hayespic.twitter.com/lfBdGK4DSx
— Bill Keller (@Bill Keller) 1639057504

In a news release issued Thursday, Robbinsdale police reported that all five individuals in the vehicle were under 18 years old.

One suspect — reportedly found outside the vehicle — was pronounced dead at the scene, while the four others were transported to a local hospital for treatment. At the hospital, another of the suspects died from their injuries.

"The other occupants are currently being treated for substantial, non-life-threatening injuries," police said, adding, "This is an unfortunate incident for all involved."

Robbinsdale Police Captain John Kaczmarek reported that the three remaining suspects are "up and talking" in the hospital.

What else?

The officers who pursued the suspects did not crash during the chase and no officers sustained any injuries in the incident, KARE reported. Kaczmarek said that he didn't know what speed the fleeing vehicle reached during the chase.

"Carjackings have been on the rise, I think everyone knows that. Even in the western suburbs, we’ve had an increase in carjackings, violent carjackings," the police captain added. "Obviously we attempt to stop those individuals from performing those."

"The vehicle fled, and we attempted to pursue it and apprehend the suspects," he noted, clearly troubled by the outcome. "It's an unfortunate incident."

The Robbinsdale Police Department is continuing to investigate the incident with assistance from Minnesota State Patrol, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office.

Morning news headlines | Thursday, Dec. 9 youtu.be

Wild police chase ends after suspect stops at  McDonald’s drive-through — but not before she hit multiple cops, dragging one 20 feet



A woman in Massachusetts was arrested this week after police say she stole a truck, crashed into multiple vehicles, and even dragged one police officer 20 feet as she tried to evade law enforcement. Her getaway plan was ultimately foiled, though, when she stopped at a McDonald's drive-through to order some food.

The incident occurred Tuesday morning at approximately 8:45 a.m. in Worcester, Massachusetts, when officers were notified that a local restoration company's pickup truck had been stolen, WHDH-TV reported.

When police arrived at the scene, the owner of the truck said that a woman he did not know had hopped into the truck and driven away. He informed officers, however, that the truck was equipped with GPS and was able to be tracked.

Police took off in pursuit and were actually able to pull over the driver — later identified as 38-year-old Johanna Gardell — before she evaded arrest and drove off again. Here's more from the WHDH-TV report:

Gardell allegedly weaved her way into oncoming traffic on Main Street where she struck a van. Two detail officers then approached the stolen truck to try and pull her out but officers say Gardell backed the truck up at a high speed and struck a cruiser behind her. In the process, she knocked down one of the detail officers and briefly dragged them.

... Gardell was later taken into custody when she pulled into the drive-thru lane at a McDonald's on Shrewsbury Street to order food. Officers approached her there in an attempt to arrest her when they say she intentionally struck one of the cruisers, went off the road and got the vehicle stuck in some nearby mulch.

The officer who was dragged was reportedly taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and is said to be doing fine. Gardell was also taken to the hospital for evaluation.

The whole chase took about an hour and a half, WBZ-TV reported, noting that the suspect made dozens of curious stops after stealing the vehicle and speeding away.

The owner of the vehicle, Raymond James, told the outlet that Gardell was likely trying to buy drugs.

"Police let me look inside," James said. "There [were] drugs in there, there [were] needles in there and some blood in her seat. It seems like she was, we followed her on the GPS, it seems like she was stopping in bad parts of town."

Woman Arrested At Worcester McDonald's Drive-Thru After Police Chase www.youtube.com

Gardell was taken into custody and now faces more than a dozen charges for her escapade, "including failure to stop for police, leaving the scene of an accident with personal injury, assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, malicious mischief to motor vehicle, disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct and use of motor vehicle without authority, among several others," according to ABC News.

The Worcester Police Department said the suspect will soon be arraigned in court and an investigation is ongoing.