Body camera footage from a March 2014 incident was recently released that shows just how lucky a police officer was, after the suspect he was chasing was having a hard time disengaging the safety on his firearm.
The incident began when an officer from the Evansville Police Department was talking with a person who was a passenger in a vehicle during a routine traffic stop. Then suddenly, the passenger takes off and the officer gives chase.
During the chase, the suspect is seen turning around toward the officer and pointing a firearm at him, but is not able to pull the trigger due to the safety being engaged. It’s a good thing this thug didn’t train with his firearm and fumbled under pressure.
Surprisingly, the officer showed immense restraint and did not fire at the suspect, even though he was staring down the barrel of his firearm. I can’t say I would have done the same thing. If I look at this from a citizen’s POV and carrying a firearm, I would have likely pulled the trigger the moment a firearm was presented. Although, I also wouldn’t be chasing after a suspect because that isn’t my job.
The suspect, Cornelius Ratliff, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Tuesday.
