It’s a Mopar vs Mopar smackdown!
Not that long ago I featured a video of a fatal PIT maneuver from Arkansas, which generated plenty of emotional responses. In that incident, an officer did the PIT at a high rate of speed, sending both his and the suspect’s vehicles careening off the road. Plenty of people who think they know everything about police work were eager to share their so-called expertise, claiming you can’t properly do a PIT at high speeds, among other things. When I saw this video of an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper doing that very thing successfully, well I just had to share.
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While Oklahoma Highway Patrol didn’t release all the footage of the incident, which took place on April 2, editing out a shootout with the suspect after the successful PIT, that’s not the part that really interests me anyway.
I’ve been told by police officers I know that there’s a problem with training these days. Something about when states and municipalities cut back funding severely and clamp all kinds of restrictions on departments, new officers don’t get to practice things like performing PITs after they’re out of the academy. It’s surely different in some departments, but I’ve heard this from multiple sources, so it’s a problem in at least certain areas.
Doing a PIT maneuver on a much larger, heavier vehicle is by nature trickier. You have to stick it just right. Considering this cop is driving a Dodge Charger Pursuit, which tips the scale at somewhere around 3,900 lbs. depending on how it’s outfitted, he’s at a severe disadvantage. The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer is a beast, weighing about 6,400 lbs. Sure, there are heavier vehicles on the road, but a lot of those are heavy-duty trucks.
For those who say there’s too much risk doing a PIT at highway speeds, in this case I think the trooper was more than justified. We see the Jeep almost hit an officer on a motorcycle and he’s driving quite recklessly. More concerning, the suspect opens fire on the pursuing cop through the back window of the Grand Wagoneer, striking the police car in the windshield. Bullets can ricochet all over in a car, which is why police and military often call vehicles in a firefight a coffin on wheels. In other words, the trooper could have been killed, even by a shot that wasn’t on target. Instead of pulling back, he continues the pursuit.
I’ll leave it to actual law enforcement and retired cops to analyze why this trooper’s first two attempts at performing a PIT aren’t successful. I can’t imagine trying to do something that technical while communicating on a radio, dealing with the suspect trying to outmaneuver you, and getting shot at, all while your heart is hammering away and adrenaline is coursing through your veins.
The final successful PIT only resulted in the suspect’s luxury SUV careening out of control. This proves you can do such a thing at high speeds. Sure, there’s no GPS speed indication in the video, but it’s obvious they’re not going 45 mph. I say this trooper deserves a round of applause for a job well done. Even better, he got to go home to his family that night.
Check out the footage for yourself.
