Chilling scenes unfolded as police arrived at the scene where crowds had gathered to watch the racers cause chaos on the streets.
According to CNN, the incident occurred in Tacoma, Washington, on January 23.
After receiving reports of a disturbance at the intersection of South 9th and Pacific Avenue in Tacoma, a police unit was dispatched to the scene at around 6:20 p.m., according to the Tacoma Police Department.
When officers arrived, they found about 100 people blocking the intersection to watch the racers show off their skills. Police began to disperse the crowd for the safety of these people.
According to police, the crowd then surrounded a police SUV and began to vandalize it despite the officer inside repeatedly sounding his siren. The officer inside the SUV tried to call for help but was “surrounded” by the crowd.
“Concerned for his safety, the officer drove forward. Several people who were blocking the vehicle were knocked over. One of them was even run over by the vehicle. Once he reached a safe location, the officer stopped the vehicle and called for help,” the Tacoma Police Department said in a statement.
The officer’s identity was not released in the statement.
Pierce County Investigators are investigating the incident.
Crowd tries to vandalize police vehicle
According to a report from The News Tribune, Tacoma police spokeswoman Wendy Haddow said the crowd smashed the vehicle’s windows and kicked the body of the vehicle. “He was afraid they were going to break the window of the SUV, which led him to drive forward to get away from the crowd,” Haddow said.
According to police, one person, whose condition is unknown, was taken to a local hospital after the incident. Haddow told The New Tribune that another person suffered a laceration in the collision and was also taken to a local hospital.
In a video shared on social media, a police SUV with sirens flashing was surrounded by a crowd. Suddenly, the officer inside drove forward, where several people were blocking the way. Several people were knocked to the ground. The SUV even ran over one person before speeding away.
“I am concerned that our police department has had another unusual incident. I extend my condolences to the victims who were injured in the incident and am committed to an independent investigation and review of the actions of the police unit that was dispatched to disperse the crowd,” Mike Ake, interim chief of the Tacoma Police Department, said on January 23.
Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards said on January 24 that the incident was being taken very seriously as a “use of force incident” and called on the police chief to find out who was responsible.
The officer who drove the vehicle into the crowd has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation, according to Tacoma officials.
