An Ohio police officer shot a suspected car thief last Wednesday while he was clinging onto the hood of the stolen vehicle after the suspect accelerated and struck the police officer.
A Columbus Police Department press release noted that officers were dispatched at roughly 3:23 p.m. However, after attempting to stop the vehicle, officers were temporarily forced to disengage their pursuit until the vehicle was once again spotted at 3:51 p.m. in a Sheetz gas station parking lot.
The Columbus Police Department explained that the vehicle then entered a Huntley Square shopping center parking lot and “began driving erratically” as police officers approached the vehicle.
“While in the parking lot, the vehicle began driving in reverse, before abruptly driving forward
and striking a Columbus Police sergeant,” the press release stated. “The vehicle continued driving through the parking lot with the sergeant on the hood of the vehicle. The sergeant discharged their firearm several times, striking the driver.”
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The driver was later identified as 32-year-old Holly Lynn Graham. Video of the encounter between Graham and the police officers was recorded by the Columbus Police Department sergeants’ body cameras, providing multiple viewpoints of the incident.
The video shows the stolen 2015 Toyota Camry attempting to escape from the police officers as one of the officers put spike strips along the parking lot exit to prevent the stolen vehicle from escaping. However, the video shows the Toyota Camry reversing before accelerating toward an approaching police officer. The officer can be seen clinging to the hood of the vehicle and firing multiple shots as Graham continues to drive forward.
The video eventually shows the police sergeant falling off the vehicle and other police officers attempting to chase the vehicle with weapons drawn.
“The vehicle left the parking lot by driving through the grass, at which time the sergeant fell off
the vehicle. The vehicle fled the scene again by driving eastbound in the westbound lanes of
travel on East Dublin Granville Road,” the Columbus Police Department stated. “As the vehicle approached the entrance ramp of Interstate 71 north, it struck two vehicles head-on. It was at that time officers were able to take the driver, an adult female and sole occupant of the vehicle, into custody.”
According to the Columbus Police Department, the injured sergeant was transported to a local hospital and was in stable condition, while the occupants of the two vehicles on the interstate were treated for minor injuries. The Daily Mail reported that Graham was transported to a hospital in serious condition and has been charged with “charged with felonious assault.”
