Caught on camera: Driver doing donuts in mall parking lot rammed by state trooper in dramatic pursuit
Dangerous encounter between trooper and street racer caught on camera
A video shows at Georgia State Patrol trooper ramming the frontend of a street racer's car, who then tries to ram the trooper's car to get away. The trooper is seen pulling a gun. Investigator say this incident highlights a larger problem.
ATLANTA - Tense moments in an Atlanta mall parking lot were captured on video showing a Georgia state trooper confronting a driver doing donuts.
"Don’t move! Turn the car off!" the trooper shouted at the man with his gun drawn at the Mall West End on Sunday night.
The trooper rammed his cruiser into the sports car in an attempt to trap it. The driver then pressed on the gas and tried to flee.
"The officer pushed his car in front of him so the guy didn’t speed away and endanger our community or kill someone by trying to get away," said Minister Dedria Medlock, of First Baptist Church Gresham. "I think the officer did a great job because he and prevented numero uno, a high-speed chase."
Still, Georgia State Patrol tells FOX 5 the suspect was able to get away.
When the trooper’s cruiser pushed the suspect’s car into the bushes, the man jumped out and took off running on foot, leaping over another set of bushes.
A spokesperson for Georgia State Patrol said that although he got away, they were able to identify him and a warrant will be issued for his arrest.
Minister Medlock said that this incident is just part of a bigger issue of reckless drivers in sports cars wreaking havoc throughout the city.
"We need help Atlanta, Keisha Lance bottoms, we need help," Medlock said. "We need you guys to stop these guys from doing this in the parking lot, stop them from racing on our expressways."
The video was posted on Instagram by user @dayoungin____, who witnessed the dramatic moments. It then when viral on @ATLScoop.
Medlock said that cars do dangerous stunts in that spot all the time, with skid marks covering the parking lot.
"This is our community mall," she said. "You have a city senior citizens building over here, where older people are walking over here to the small, but you have these idiots, and I’m going to call them idiots, that are out here doing donuts and racing in our parking lot."
She wants police to continue cracking down on the sports car drivers behaving recklessly, from doing donuts in parking lots, to turning freeways into raceways.
"Do what you guys need to do to apprehend these guys," she said. "I didn’t say kill them, I said to apprehend them and put them in jail, that are endangering our community, endangering my life and your life."
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