Dashcam: Teen Rams Kan. Police Cruiser Head-On After Family Clash

A Lawrence police officer narrowly attempted to avoid a head-on crash as a teen driver allegedly rammed the cruiser following a dispute with his father.

What to know

  • A 17-year-old driver allegedly rammed a Lawrence police patrol vehicle head-on after a late-night domestic conflict involving his father.
  • Dashboard camera footage shows the teen driving toward the cruiser and striking it even as the police officer attempted to avoid the collision, while bodycam audio captures the officer calling for backup.
  • The teen was hospitalized before being booked into juvenile detention and faces charges including aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer; no other injuries were reported.

A teenage driver allegedly rammed a car head-on into a Lawrence Police Department patrol vehicle Friday, as shown in a video on the agency’s Facebook page.

Lawrence police responded to a call about a conflict between a father and son around 11:30 p.m. on Friday.

The father was allegedly trying to stop the 17-year-old from huffing butane, according to the post.

The teen got in his car, then rammed into his father’s truck, officials wrote.

Lawrence police video

The dashcam video, shared on Facebook, shows a red car heading toward the patrol vehicle. Though the patrol vehicle moved to the right, the red car, allegedly driven by the teen, still hit the front left corner.

In the bodycam footage, an officer is heard requesting backup on his radio, “He rammed me with his car. I have him at Taser point on the ground.”

The driver was taken to the Lawrence Memorial Hospital before he was booked in the Douglas County Juvenile Detention Center, according to the post.

He was charged with aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, among other counts.

No one else was injured.

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