The video doesn’t appear to explain why the driver didn’t see the officer on foot
October 20, 2023 at 12:32
Dashcam video from the Los Angeles Police Department captures the moment when one officer in a cruiser hit another one on foot while both were in pursuit of a suspect. Initially, it seemed that the LAPD was reluctant to acknowledge the reality of the incident, but the video subsequently confirmed the events. Fortunately, the officer who was struck sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The incident started when officers pursued a stolen Chevrolet Silverado on October 13th down Hollywood Way in Burbank. The pickup truck crashed out at the corner of Hollywood Way and Covello Street where it hit a fire hydrant and a Ford Bronco.
As the officer in the vehicle with the dashcam approaches it’s clear that another officer is already out of his car and running toward the suspect. The camera shows the on-foot officer very clearly, including his likely path, for some time before the impact. For whatever reason it appears that the officer driving didn’t notice the one on foot.
advertisement scroll to continue
More: Innocent Bystander Dies During High-Speed Police Chase That Fails To Catch Suspect
As the driver turns onto Covello he hits the on-foot officer directly and sends him sliding onto the road surface. The video shows the officer rolling on the ground and then not moving.
When local news agency KTLA asked the LAPD about the incident, the department wouldn’t confirm that it had hit one of its own. “An officer was struck at the termination [of the pursuit], sustaining non-life-threatening injuries. We are thankful our officer was not seriously injured in this accident,” was all it said.
More video taken from above the crash shows the struck officer walking and talking not long after the incident. Paramedics would later take the officer to the hospital for evaluation.
As we’ve highlighted countless times here before, the tactics that police use to pursue suspects are worthy of scrutiny. In this case, the officer managed to escape with only minor injuries but it’s an accident that likely should’ve been avoided altogether. Neither KTLA nor the LAPD released any information about whether or not police apprehended the suspect.