Wild video shows the moment an Arkansas officer took drastic measures to end a nearly 60-mile police pursuit of a U-Haul van that had reached speeds “in excess” of 120 miles per hour.
Dashcam footage of the dangerous Feb. 7 chase shows the left nose of a Tontitown Police squad car nudging the right rear bumper of the van on Interstate 49, causing it to lose control and spin around, while the cop car veered off the road and tumbled over before coming to a stop in a recessed median.
Other marked police cars then rushed in to circle the van and prevent it from speeding away again as a group of officers approached the vehicle with guns drawn.
One cop was seen smashing open the passenger side window and pulling a suspect onto the highway before placing him in handcuffs.
Tontitown officials issued a press release on Feb. 8 stating that a “tactical vehicle intervention” by a police officer ended the chase, with a “maneuver” that resulted in the cop car “rolling over multiple times.”
The chase started 56 miles west of Tontitown, when Locust Grove, Ark. cops started pursuing a U-Haul that had allegedly been stolen, according to the release.
Two Michigan men, Robert Mercier, 21, and Trenton Johnson, 21, were ultimately arrested and found to be in possession of firearms and Molotov cocktails.
They were charged with a litany of crimes, including aggravated assault, criminal conspiracy, possession of destructive devices and felony fleeing, according to the release.
The suspects damaged four Tontitown cop cars while attempting to flee, as well as multiple cars from other agencies during the reckless 56-mile chase, officials said.
The duo were also wanted in Westland, Michigan for attempting to run over multiple police officers, authorities claimed.
The officer in the car that rolled over was treated for minor injuries, according to the release.