Video shows Tacoma police vehicle driving through crowd, crushing at least 1 person

A Tacoma, Wash., Police officer was seen walking through a downtown crowd on Saturday night, crushing at least one person and sending them to hospital.

The officer responded to multiple calls that a group of people were blocking a downtown intersection when crowds started to descend on the police car, the Tacoma Police Department said. Tacoma Interim Police Chief Mike Ake said he was “committed” to the department’s full cooperation in an investigation into the incident.

“I am concerned that our department is suffering from another incident of the use of lethal force,” Ake said.

Several spectator videos have been posted online of the incident, where the police car can be seen driving over a person and continuing to move forward. Pierce County authorities are resuming investigation of the incident as an independent investigative team.

A crowd of about 100 people and several cars were blocking an intersection on Pacific Avenue when the department arrived downtown, according to a police statement. A Tacoma police car was then surrounded by crowds and the officer inside struggled to pull out.

“People hit the body of the police vehicle and its windows as the officer was stopped on the street,” Tacoma police said. “The officer, fearing for his safety, tried to back down, but was unable to do so because of the crowd.

The officer then drove the car forward, with lights and sirens, hitting at least one person. The condition of the individual, who was taken to a local hospital, is unknown.

Police said the officer stopped after walking away and called for medical help. The officer has not been identified by police.

Social media users referred to the event as a “car encounter,” with some accounts posting videos of people in cars making donuts at the intersection while others in the crowd filmed on their phones. Videos posted of the car stunts in what appeared to be the same intersection showed similar tire marks on the road as seen in published videos of the Tacoma police vehicle.

Police did not characterize the crowd that blocked the Tacoma intersection.