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BWC: Ky. officer shoots fleeing suspect as he tries to carjack van with woman still inside

A man crashed a vehicle during a pursuit and ran into a nearby Walmart; he then ran outside and tried to carjack a vehicle from an unsuspecting shopper

By Joanna Putman
Police1

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Louisville Metro Police Department has released body camera footage of an officer-involved shooting of a fleeing suspect who attempted to carjack a van in a Walmart parking lot, WLKY reported.

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The incident began when a Kentucky State Police trooper initiated a pursuit of a vehicle, which ended in the suspect vehicle crashing, according to the report. One occupant was arrested at the scene, while the other suspect fled toward a Walmart.

Body camera footage from Louisville Police Officer Brandon Brinkley shows him searching for the fleeing suspect inside the store. After receiving a tip from a shopper, Brinkley spotted the man moving toward the exit and began pursuing him on foot. The suspect was later seen on store surveillance video jumping into the passenger seat of a van in the drive-thru.

Brinkley ordered the man to exit the van. According to police, the suspect was attempting to manipulate the van’s gears while the driver kept her foot on the brake. Brinkley fired several shots through the windshield after the woman screamed. The suspect was struck multiple times.

The man was arrested after receiving treatment for non-life-threatening injuries, according to the report. Police found a handgun in the man’s pocket after removing him from the van. He faces multiple charges, including robbery, resisting arrest and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.

“We are very fortunate that nobody other than the assailant himself was injured and the woman who was the victim of a horrific carjacking attempting is safe,” said Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg.