Cops’ excuse for ramming man

Mowed down ... This speeding police car is a second away from slamming into Mario Valencia in Arizona. Picture: AP Source: AP

Marana Police in the US released video Tuesday of an incident on February 19 in which a police officer used his patrol vehicle to end a crosstown crime spree. Courtesy Liveleak/dcmfox. Police say the suspect, Mario Valencia, confronted them with a stolen gun and fired one shot in the 5600 block of West Coca Cola Place before being struck by the cruiser. Valencia is accused of a series of crimes in Tucson and Marana.

DRAMATIC footage shows a police car mow down a suspect who goes flying. But police in Arizona have claimed that they were trying to save the man's life.

An officer in the Arizona town of Marana, near Tuscon, used his patrol car to end a crime spree — by ramming a suspect on the footpath.

Footage of the February 19 incident was captured on the car's dashboard cam and Mario Valencia being dramatically mowed down, CBS news said.

Valencia is seen on the video walking down the street when a gunshot is heard. Then — in a decision police Chief Terry Rozema claims probably saved Valencia's life — officer Michael Rapiejko drives his cruiser onto the footpath directly at Valencia.

Mario Valencia ... Was run over by police. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

The alternative was to shoot him to try and stop the incident from escalating.

According to Marana police, Valencia had fled a Walmart where he had allegedly stolen a rifle. He had already been intercepted by police near a post office, where he pointed the rifle at his head multiple times and threatened suicide before firing the gun in another direction and fleeing.

It wasn't clear if he intended to target police, and no one was hit by the bullet.

The pursuit ended outside a self-storage facility when Mr Rapiejko hit the suspect with his cruiser.

"This was a dangerous felon who had been on a crime spree throughout the morning," another police official Marana Police Sgt. Chris Warren told KOLD-TV in February.

Lifesaver? .... Marana police officer Michael Rapiejko. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

"He'd just stolen a weapon, loaded it, was not obeying commands from officers and was walking toward occupied businesses. It's a busy time of morning, a lot of employees at work, a lot getting ready to come out for breaks, he's walking toward those businesses. So we had to take immediate action and make sure he didn't get inside those businesses."

Valencia was taken to University of Arizona Medical Centre in serious condition. He stayed there two days before he was jailed.

Police are investigating whether Valencia was connected to the three earlier incidents in Tucson, including a convenience store robbery, a break-in and fire at a church and a home invasion and car theft.

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