It's a standard plot for a movie or TV show: Crook commits violent crime. Crook flees, and police give chase. Police finally nab crook in an exciting action sequence complete with riveting soundtrack.
In real life, though, criminal acts aren't adrenaline-charged roller coaster rides. For bystanders and victims, they can be frightening experiences as the only thing between them and bodily harm can be a lone police officer.
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As the last line of defense between the public and criminals, police and law enforcement officers have a singular of goal of defusing volatile situations to make sure everyone makes it home alive. That might include trying de-escalation tactics or possibly using deadly force.
OFFICER Magazine has collected some of the dramatic and harrowing takedowns caught on camera in 2022. In many of the instances, officers ended threats before any civilians were hurt. In other cases, they were protecting their own safety after a violent interaction.
But like a classic TV police procedural, these videos capture showdowns where the officer gets his or her crook.
Atlanta Police Officers Swim Lake to Catch Fleeing Suspect
Atlanta police officers didn't let a lake stop them after a suspect driving a stolen car exited the vehicle and fled on foot before jumping into the water in an effort to escape.
Fla. Deputies Stop Man Using Kidnapped Child as Shield
A man was charged with kidnapping and other counts after leading Flagler County sheriff's deputies on a chase and using his 1-year-old boy as a shield during a standoff.
Tenn. Police Officers Foil Smash-and-Grab Robbery in Progress
A retail clerk alerted Franklin police to suspects who charged into a still-open Cool Springs store and used sledgehammers to smash glass cases and steal diamond jewelry.
Atlanta Police Nab Car Thief who Tried to Return Stolen Vehicle
An accused car thief was the victim of bad timing when he tried to return a stolen vehicle and ran into Atlanta police officers still at the scene of the crime.
Man with VSKA AK-Style Pistol Opens Fire on Houston Police
Body camera footage captures Houston police officers shooting and wounding a man who allegedly began firing at them through the windshield of his pickup truck.
Fla. Police Take Down Accused Swastika Vandal
Video footage from a witness shows Jacksonville Beach police deploying a Taser to help apprehend a fleeing woman who allegedly spray-painted a swastika on a bar's wall.
Ark. Trooper's Taser Ignites Man's Gasoline-Filled Backpack
Video footage captured a chase between a motorcyclist and Arkansas State Police that ended when a trooper deployed a Taser and the man's backpack filled with gasoline burst into flames.
Las Vegas Police Officer Takes Down Suspect who Shot Her
Body camera footage captured a Las Vegas police officer fatally shooting a man who shot and wounded her during a foot chase following a traffic stop.
Police Apprehend Suspect in July 4 Highland Park Parade Shooting
Calif. PD BearCat Chases Sparking Stolen Construction Truck
Helicopter footage captured a large pursuit between at least 10 police cruisers—including an armored BearCat vehicle—and a stolen construction truck dragging a traffic sign behind it.
Police Arrest of Suspect in N.Y. Supermarket Mass Shooting
The teen accused of a massacre inside a Buffalo supermarket that left 10 people dead had plans of continuing his racist rampage through other parts of the city, according to investigators.
Traffic Stop Gunfight Erupts Between Chicago Police, Driver
Chicago Police Officer Erik Moreno was struck in the arm and torso after a gunman rushed out of a car and opened fire during an attempted traffic stop in the city's West Englewood neighborhood.
Ind. Officer's Dashcam Shows Escaped Ala. Inmate's Capture
Evansville police released videos of the arrest of capital murder suspect Casey White and the search of the pickup truck that he and Lauderdale County corrections officer Vicky White were in.
Would-Be Auto Thief Jumps 5 Stories to Flee Atlanta Police
A 19-year-old man accused of trying to break into a car in an Atlanta apartment complex parking structure was taken to the hospital in stable condition after leaping 55 feet to try to escape police officers.
