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Deputy Strikes Crashed Motorcyclist With Cruiser Who Fled A Traffic Stop (NSFW)
Published 2 years ago
Dashcam footage released by Lake Worth Police Department, shows a controversial incident that has led to an officer losing his job and the opening of a federal lawsuit for excessive use of force.
In November of 2021, a Lake Worth officer observed a spray-painted motorcycle with an obscured license plate stopped at an intersection red light. During that time, the on-duty officer became suspicious of the motorcycle, furthermore, causing the officer to attempt a traffic stop.
As shown in the footage, nearly seconds after the officer turned his lights on, the motorcyclist, later identified as Dustin Bates, fled the scene. Driving erratically, Bates eventually lost control of the motorcycle and crashed into the grass near an off-ramp. At the time of the crash, the pursuing officer observed a cloud of dust and debris. In a statement released by the Lake Worth Police Chief J.T. Manoushagian, the officer drove his car off the road into the grass, in a reported attempt to close the distance between himself and Bates, who was now fleeing on foot.
During that time, the officers vehicle reportedly lost control as it decelerated, causing the vehicle to hit Bates. Police Chief J.T. Manoushagian made it a point during his statement that Bates was not run over by the vehicle but was in fact struck by the front of the vehicle. From this incident, Bates suffered three fractured ribs, a broken right leg, and a fractured spine. During a later court appearance, Bates was later charged with evading arrest and drug possession; however all charges were dismissed in August of 2021, due to the nature of this situation.
Shortly after the incident, the officer involved decided to resign from his position while the ongoing lawsuit continues.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Do you think this was intentional? Should the charges against Bates been dropped? Does the way main stream media sways incidents like this cause bad policing?
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