A dramatic incident unfolded in Long Island, New York, as a police officer drove his cruiser into a gun-wielding woman who was waving a firearm at vehicles on the road.
The shocking incident, captured on video and shared on social media, has raised questions about the use of force in law enforcement encounters.
Watch: Long Island police ram into gun-wielding woman
Footage of the incident, which surfaced on Reddit, depicted a woman walking at an intersection with a firearm in her hand, directing it towards passing vehicles.
At various points, the woman pointed the gun both at the vehicles and at her own head, creating a tense and dangerous situation.
Responding to reports of the woman firing at least one shot into the air at the intersection of Bellmore and Jerusalem Avenues in North Bellmore, police arrived at the scene. The video captured the moment when a police cruiser struck the woman, who was attempting to move out of its path.
The video footage showed the unfolding of a tense confrontation between law enforcement and the gun-wielding woman. As the woman lay on the ground, an officer rushed towards her, shouting commands to drop the weapon. In a moment of uncertainty, the woman seemed to reach for the gun that had fallen from her grasp as she attempted to stand. Another officer quickly intervened, tackling her to the ground.
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Following the intense encounter, a third officer approached and handcuffed the woman. She was subsequently transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.
It was revealed that the officer who had used the cruiser to stop the woman also required medical attention due to the trauma of the incident.
Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder addressed the incident during a press conference, highlighting the police department’s protocol regarding the use of force.
“Protocol on the police department is that deadly physical force spurs deadly physical force,” he said.
He explained that in situations where deadly physical force is threatened, law enforcement officers have the right to respond in kind. In this case, the use of the police cruiser to immobilize the woman was seen as a response to her own display of deadly force.
“If somebody has threatened deadly physical force against you or another, you have the right to use deadly physical force, and they chose it through their vehicle and they stopped the individual,” he added.
As of now, authorities have not filed charges related to the investigation.