Disturbing footage has been released of the moment a police officer in Centralia, Illinois slammed his police cruiser into the car of a 17-year-old female.
The clip was recorded on November 7, 2018 and shows an unnamed police officer T-boning the white sedan owned by a student from the Centralia High School. Centralia Police chief Brian Atchison revealed late last month that the officer had been suspended for one day due to the crash.
At the time, police were responding to a bomb threat at the Centralia High School, locking down the educational facility. In the video, the officer can be heard saying “there’s no sense in bringing anybody in or out.”
While patrolling the school’s parking lot, the officer noticed the white car enter the parking lot. Video shows the officer immediately stepping on the throttle to investigate, crossing over a strip of grass and accelerating between rows of parked cars before slamming into the side of the car.
Immediately after the impact, the officer can be heard saying “You okay, darling?” to the 17-year-old. Police later discovered that she broke her collarbone in the crash and that she was a student coming back to campus from her internship.
Centralia Police chief Brian Atchison said both cars were totaled and two parked cars were also damaged. The offending officer was suspended for a day for not being control of his vehicle, but Atchison insisted that he didn’t intentionally crash into the student, 5 On Your Side reports.
Police were called to the school after a report of there being six explosive devices planted there. The report was later discovered to be bogus.