[[{“value”:”In New Haven, Connecticut, dashcam footage from a police cruiser in Connecticut was released by the state’s police.
Police responded to complaints of people “operating dirt bikes and ATVs improperly in the city,” according to WSFA.
On Farnam Drive on Sunday afternoon, an incident occurred.
Hartford Courant reports:
According to the New Haven Police Department, on Sunday around 3:40 p.m., New Haven officers who were assigned to a dirtbike/ATV detail responded to reports of a group gathering in East Rock Park.
Officers accessed the park using Farnam Drive, which has been closed to all automotive traffic since 2020. While the officers were driving up the road, they saw a large number of pedestrians, including families with children, in the area and noticed an ATV driving down the road at a high rate of speed toward the pedestrians, police said.
In the footage, the police cruiser cuts off the ATV rider, causing him to crash into the windshield.
” New Haven, Connecticut police release dash cam footage showing an Quad rider being cut off by their police cruiser. After hearing reports of ATV and dirt bike riders at East Rock Park, police called. One of the officers angled his car in front of the man, causing him to crash into the car when he saw an ATV rider traveling down the road. After receiving backlash electronically, the police issued a statement, defending the officer’s action”, Collin Rugg wrote.
According to Rugg, the police” slowed the cruiser and angled it to protect the families and pedestrians they had only passed,” and they also provided a point of entry for the impending ATV to pass the cruiser.
” As the cruiser was slowing down, the operator lost control of his ATV, and struck the front passenger side window of the cruiser”, the statement continued.
” The man on the ATV was taken to the hospital with severe injuries”, Rugg noted.
WATCH:
NEW: New Haven, Connecticut police release dash cam footage showing an ATV rider being cut off by a police officer.
After receiving reports of ATV and dirt bike riders at East Rock Park, the police were called.
When one of the officers noticed an ATV rider coming down the road, he angled … pic. twitter.com/vh8wXiy94P
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg ) May 2, 2024
Per WSFA:
Dirt bikes are frequently seen on the path that residents of New Haven do n’t want to cross.
” It’s obvious that they’re going too fast and they should n’t be on the pedestrian roads in the first place”, Olivia Brinks, of New Haven, said.
Following the incident, the New Haven police chief, Karl Jacobson, issued a statement.
This is a tragic and overt reminder of the serious dangers of ATV and dirt bike riding illegally on city streets, both for pedestrians and the bikes themselves. On behalf of this family who was in danger, our police officers engaged in a possible life-saving maneuver. The driver’s dreadful accident is dreadful, and we’re happy the family was safe, according to Jacobson, and we’re hopeful for his quick recovery. We also urge the general public to refrain from doing this.
Jacobson claimed the cruiser’s lights were on and that the officers handled the situation correctly. However, the video has received some negative feedback on social media.
When they hear an ATV coming their way, Jacobson continued,” They turn over to the left to protect the people in their path.” When the incident occurred, the officer was not moving at any speed, and the officer likewise gave an area for egress, which allowed them to maneuver around the police car.
Jacobson noted that there have n’t been as many patrols in the past, but he anticipates that will change.
” Jacobson said the ATV driver will be charged in the incident, but he added that he hopes he makes a whole recovery”, WSFA noted.”}]] [[{“value”:”
Connecticut police released dashcam video showing an ATV rider colliding with the windshield of a police cruiser at New Haven, Connecticut.
According to WSFA police arrived “to address complaints of people operating dirt bikes and aTVs illegally in the city.”
The incident occurred on Farnam Drive Sunday afternoon.
Hartford Courant reports:
According to the New Haven Police Department, officers assigned to a dirtbike/ATV detailing to address ongoing complaints about riders driving illegally and irresponsibly in the city responded on Sunday at 3:40 pm to the area of East Rock Park after receiving reports of a large group congregating.
Officers used Farnam Drive to enter the park, which is closed to vehicular traffic as of 2020. The officers noticed a lot of pedestrians in the area, including families with small children. They also noticed an ATV speeding down the road toward the pedestrians.
In the video, the police cruiser crashes into the windshield after cutting off the ATV rider.
New Haven, CT Police release dashcam footage showing their police cruiser cutting an ATV rider off. Police were called when they received reports about ATV and dirt-bike riders at East Rock Park. When an officer saw an ATV rider approaching, he angled the car in front of him causing the man to crash into the vehicle. “After receiving online criticism, the police released a statement defending the officer’s actions,” Collin Rugg wrote.
According to Rugg, “the officers slowed down the cruiser, angled it in order to protect the pedestrians and families they had just passed by, while providing an egress point to the side for the ATV coming towards them to pass the cruiser.”
The statement continued, “As the cruiser slowed down, the driver lost control of his ATV and struck the front passenger-side window of the Cruiser.”
Rugg reported that “the man on the ATV suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital.”
WATCH:
NEW: New Haven CT police release dashcam footage of their police cruiser cutting an ATV rider off.
East Rock Park was reported to be a hotspot for ATV and dirtbike riders.
When one of the officers noticed an ATV rider coming down the road, he angled… pic.twitter.com/vh8wXiy94P
Collin Rugg @CollinRugg May 2, 2024
Per WSFA
Residents in New Haven say dirt bikes are often seen on paths that they shouldn’t be on.
Olivia Brinks of New Haven said, “It is obvious that they are going too fast, and they shouldn’t even be on the pedestrian streets in the first instance.”
New Haven Chief Police Karl Jacobson issued a statement following the incident.
“This is a sad and stark reminder of how dangerous it is to ride dirt bikes and ATVs illegally on city streets. This applies to both pedestrians and operators of these vehicles. Our police officers performed a potentially lifesaving maneuver for this family who was in danger. We’re happy that the family was safe, but what happened to the driver was tragic. We hope for his full and speedy recovery, and urge the public to refrain from engaging in this type activity,” Jacobson said.
The video has been criticized on social media. Jacobson, however, said that the cruiser lights were on and that the officers handled the incident correctly.
Jacobson said that when people hear an ATV approaching, they move to the left to shield those behind them. “The officer was not traveling at speed when the incident occurred and then the officer gave an area of escape, meaning that they could have gotten around the cop car.”
Jacobson said that there haven’t always been many patrols around that area, but that he expects this to change in the future.
“Jacobson stated that the ATV driver would be charged for the incident. He added, however, that he hoped he made a full recovery,” WSFA reported.
“}]]
