RAM A Veloster, Get Free Stuff

by Jack Baruth

Published: July 2nd, 2014

The Best&Brightest reacted with apathy to a story about someone who ended a police chase by ramming the perp, making it our least popular story of the week.

Oh, just kidding! You guys went nuts! And now here’s some additional information: the fellow who did the ramming had his truck fixed and upgraded through donations from the community. According to Road&Track:

Rowley’s truck had some front suspension damage and a mangled front bumper. Not only did the truck get about $7500 in repairs, it got an additional $6500 or so in upgrades: new turbos, a new fuel system, a much more substantial bumper, and new shocks all around.

A much more substantial bumper! That’s exactly what this fellow needs.

Jack Baruth

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5 of 51 comments

Hybridkiller on Jul 02, 2014

@Pch101 I'm largely agnostic on the subject of Rammer being right, wrong, justified or not - mainly because the threshold of detail I need to feel comfortable passing judgment hasn't been met. But since you chose to focus on the pure legality of what transpired, is there a statute that addresses a citizen interfering with law enforcement during an in-progress police response to a situation? To me that is the key legal question here. And again, I'm not condoning OR condemning what Rammer did. I'm asking seriously, this is not some veiled challenge to your point.

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- Pch101 on Jul 02, 2014
  
  I would think that it's hard to argue that Rowley interfered with the arrest when he deliberately facilitated it. What X needs to realize is that the public does have some limited right to participate in law enforcement. His arguments presume that we have no recourse but to call 911, and that's obviously wrong. Vigilantism is still illegal, but not every act by a citizen is an act of vigilantism. If he doesn't like it, then he should ask the Utah legislature to change the laws. But it is not up to us to prosecute people for behavior that was lawful at the time.
  
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Hybridkiller on Jul 02, 2014

I'd still like to know if there's a statute on the books that addresses it, but whatever. Since there is such a thing as obstruction of justice (I know that doesn't apply here) I would think that you can't (legally) get out in front of police (when they are on scene) just because you think your judgment, skill, or training is better. But IDK, that's why I asked.

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Lou_BC on Jul 03, 2014

@hybridkiller - the "Rammer" has to be careful as to how he words why he did what he did. If he sticks to fear for the lives of neighbourhood friends, family, children then he is covered by what is acceptable in self defence. It may be acceptable in citizens arrest. If he says he was frustrated and angered by police inaction then he is dead in the water.

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Kendahl on Jul 03, 2014

I think we already know the pickup driver's legal situation. The police, who usually dislike intervention by private citizens, chose not to arrest him. If the kid and his family sue, they will have a hard time finding a sympathetic jury in a community that spontaneously donated several thousand dollars to fix the defendant's truck.

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