N.M. police shoot at minivan full of kids after mom evades traffic stop
A woman and her teenage son are facing charges and two police officers are being investigated after a routine traffic stop in New Mexico ended with shots being fired at the woman’s van.
The scene unfolded Oct. 28 on a state highway south of Taos, N.M. A police officer pulled over Oriana Ferrell, who was driving a minivan with five children in it, for going 71 mph in a 55 mph zone. The children ranged in age from 6 to 18, according to KRQE.
Dashboard video from the officer’s vehicle released on Friday shows Ferrell arguing with the officer after being pulled over. When the officer returns to his vehicle, Ferrell drives away.
The officer pulls her over again and can be heard saying, “Get out of the vehicle! Get out of the vehicle right now!”
Ferrell remains in the minivan, but a male identified by CBS News as her 14-year-old son jumps out of the vehicle and heads toward the officer. He is shown backing off when the officer pulls out a Taser.
The officer then tells Ferrell, “You’re facing evading charges. You ran away from me, OK?”
Ferrell gets out of the vehicle, but then tries to get back inside while trying to keep a young girl away from the officer. Her son jumps out of the car again and confronts the officer, scuffling with him before running back to the car.
As Ferrell starts to drive away, the officer is shown smashing the window of the van with his baton. A second officer fires multiple shots in the direction of the vehicle.
After a 10-minute high-speed chase, Ferrell pulls over again, and she and her son are arrested.
Ferrell, thought to be from Tennessee, faces five counts of abuse of a child, aggravated fleeing of an officer, resisting an officer, reckless driving and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to KABC. Her 14-year-old son has been charged with battery of an officer.
State police told KABC the two involved officers are under investigation. Their names are not being released.
Contact Stephanie Grimes at sgrimes@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @steph_grimes
