Image via Police Transparency/YouTube
People don’t seem to understand how much training good police officers receive, like this Thornton motorcycle cop who shows off an impressive dismount in a panic situation. This is why when we’ve seen funding stripped away from departments, then later people complaining about sloppy police work, all we can do is shake our heads. Few if any people inherently do this sort of thing, which is why it’s impressive to watch the bodycam footage of this incident.
See how troopers in Georgia deal with fleeing motorcycles.
Back on May 14 another officer noticed a car being driven erratically and tried conducting a legal traffic stop. Instead of complying, the driver took off on foot.
That’s where this bodycam footage comes into the story. Our motorcycle cop is helping comb the area for the suspect, who is in the process of trying to carjack another vehicle at gunpoint. Spotting something that’s off, the officer turns his bike around and goes in that direction to investigate.
Things happen fast, so we see the officer dump his motorcycle and unholster his handgun in one fluid motion. He transitions from riding to running in such a natural way, it’s truly impressive. This is the result of rigorous training, and we’re thankful there are cops like him who are dedicated enough to perform their job so well.
Immediately after he does this, the officer is shouting orders at the suspect to get on the ground but is met with gunfire, which he answers in kind. Had he not dumped bike, had his gun ready to go, and been a mobile target on the run, the cop likely would’ve been shot before he could do anything about it.
In other words, the training this officer received on two wheels very likely saved his life. Instead of being a victim, he struck the suspect in the firefight, who ultimately died at a hospital. It easily could’ve been the other way around.
Watch the video for yourself, it’s impressive how fast the officer transitions from riding to running and gunning.
Image via Police Transparency/YouTube
