Deputy Tases Suspect and Gets Hit By SUV on Police Bodycam

false name and attempted to flee, climbing down a steep embankment and jumping a guardrail toward the highway. Body-cam footage shows a deputy deploying a taser, incapacitating Thompson in a traffic lane, where he was then struck by a oncoming SUV. The incident triggered a complex investigation, grave questions about law enforcement decision-making on a high-speed interstate, and ultimately a multi-million-dollar settlement with the victim’s family.

TRAFFIC STOP TURNS DEADLY

Deputy Tases Suspect and Gets Hit By SUV – The evening began as a routine vehicle stop: deputies located Thompson’s vehicle driving with expired registration. When confronted, Thompson reportedly provided a false name and refused to comply. He ran from the deputy down the embankment and jumped into live lanes of I-25’s northbound side.
A deputy deployed a taser during the chase, striking Thompson. At that moment, an SUV traveling at highway speed struck Thompson, causing catastrophic injury. The deputy and other officers attempted life-saving efforts before Thompson was transported to hospital, where he later died.
A review by the district attorney’s office found that while there was no criminal charge for the deputy, investigations criticized the decision to tase a suspect in such a hazardous location, labeling the judgment as poor given the proximity to live lanes of traffic.

BODYCAM FOOTAGE AND INVESTIGATIVE FINDINGS

Deputy Tases Suspect and Gets Hit By SUV – Body-worn camera footage captured the unfolding chaos: the pursuit down the embankment, the deputy’s verbal warnings, the moment Thompson fell into traffic, and the shock of the officers on scene. Investigations revealed:

Thompson’s car had expired tags and his license had been revoked;

He fled on foot into the interstate traffic zone;

The taser deployment occurred just seconds before the collision with the SUV;

The district attorney’s letter cited a “clear lapse in judgment” for not fully assessing imminent traffic risk prior to using the taser;

Legal reviews found no violation of policy and therefore no criminal prosecution of the deputy.
The case drew intense scrutiny over when force is appropriate — particularly on or near highways — and what safeguards should apply in that environment.

AFTERMATH, POLICE LIABILITY & SETTLEMENT

Deputy Tases Suspect and Gets Hit By SUV – The human cost was profound. Thompson’s family filed a wrongful‐death claim alleging the deputy’s decision was reckless. In August 2024, the county reached a settlement of $5 million with Thompson’s estate and family, acknowledging the immense loss suffered and that the settlement reflected systemic failure, though it did not include an admission of fault. From the law-enforcement side, the agency accepted the incident as a learning case: they publicly stated that officers face split-second decisions, and that this case will inform future training and policy revision. The settlement emphasized that policy compliance alone may not equate to safe outcomes in volatile, high-risk scenarios.

CONTEXT & IMPLICATIONS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT

Deputy Tases Suspect and Gets Hit By SUV – This incident raises critical questions for policing: When is it safe to deploy less-lethal weapons such as a taser on or near high‐speed traffic zones? How should agencies train for pursuit on embankments and highways, where the environment itself is a deadly hazard? What level of oversight and officers’ judgment should apply when dealing with flight into active traffic lanes?

How should departments balance suspect apprehension against risk to innocent motorists?
In this case, the deputy’s intervention arguably saved other motorists but placed Thompson directly into harm’s path. The decision-making window was measured in seconds, yet the consequences endured decades beyond that moment.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Deputy Tases Suspect and Gets Hit By SUV – For the public, this event underscores the unpredictable nature of policing and the razor-thin margins when force, pursuit and highway traffic combine. For law enforcement professionals and policy makers, it highlights how tools and tactics appropriate in one setting may become catastrophic in another.
Communities expect accountability and the assurance that officers will act safely and proportionately — especially when decisions may end lives in seconds. This case offers a cautionary example, prodding agencies to rethink training, decision frameworks and risk assessment near highways. At its core, this story is a detailed examination of policing at the edge of control: a routine traffic stop, a suspect on the run, an officer’s split-second choice, and a tragic end.

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Deputy Tases Suspect and Gets Hit By SUV

Deputy Tases Suspect and Gets Hit By SUV

Deputy Tases Suspect and Gets Hit By SUV

Deputy Tases Suspect and Gets Hit By SUV