Arkansas State Trooper Fired After Ramming Wrong Vehicle With a PIT Maneuver During Chase
An Arkansas State Police Trooper has been fired after mistakenly ramming the wrong vehicle during a chase. The officer thought he was conducting a tactical vehicle intervention – also known as Precision Immobilization Technique, or a PIT maneuver – on a driver believed to be a suspect.
The pursuit began on Interstate 630 in Little Rock. After stopping the suspect in a white Buick Envista going 92 mph in a 60 mph zone, the trooper smelled what he believed to be marijuana.
The officer also discovered that the driver had a suspended license. When the trooper asked the driver to exit the vehicle, he sped away in the Envista.
According to the Arkansas State Police, the trooper then returned to his patrol unit and notified dispatch that he was in pursuit. Unfortunately, he briefly lost sight of the suspect vehicle. When he spotted a white SUV ahead of him, the officer believed it was the suspect. It wasn’t.
The trooper made things even worse after ramming the wrong driver
Making matters even worse, after performing the PIT maneuver on the innocent motorist, the trooper exited his patrol unit and ordered the driver out of her vehicle at gunpoint. He quickly apologized for his gaffe.
“We are thankful no one was injured in this incident, and we appreciate this motorist accepting the situation with grace,” said Colonel Mike Hagar, Director of the Arkansas State Police. “Even though we know humans sometimes make mistakes, a mistake of this nature has serious consequences.”
To top it all off, the driver of the Buick Envista turned himself in to the ASP Troop A headquarters. Authorities arrested him on felony charges of fleeing and misdemeanor charges of failing to obey a police officer, driving on a suspended license, and speeding more than 15 mph over the posted limit.
Arkansas State Police stated that the trooper had been hired in October 2024 and was still on probation. They immediately placed him on administrative work duty and then terminated him.
Arkansas State Police claims incidents such as this are rare
According to the Arkansas State Police, since 2016, their troopers have conducted 1,428 TVls. Of those 1,428 TVIs, only two have involved mistaken identity of the suspect vehicle.
That may be true; however, a quick search yields several other sketchy PIT maneuvers and incidents in which the Arkansas State Police detained the wrong driver. Two years ago, people raised questions about law enforcement’s use of the tactical maneuver, which had led to multiple deaths in Central Arkansas.
