Antioch, USA – A police officer shot a driver in the leg after being trapped inside a fleeing getaway car during a violent confrontation following an armed robbery.
Body camera video released Thursday shows a chaotic encounter in which a suspect allegedly kidnapped an Antioch police officer and threatened to crash the vehicle. The incident ended a two-and-a-half-minute high-speed pursuit.
The events began just after 5 a.m. on February 20, when police responded to an armed robbery at a grocery store on Lone Tree Way. A store employee reported that three men had entered after crashing through the front doors with a car, and one was believed to be armed.
Officers arrived within minutes and saw 23-year-old Dominick DeSouza returning to his vehicle. After officers attempted to stop him, DeSouza accelerated into a patrol car. A second officer, on foot, reached into the vehicle as DeSouza reversed and then drove forward again, striking the patrol car a second time before fleeing with the officer still inside.
DeSouza then drove at high speed for about two miles while the officer remained trapped inside the vehicle. During the incident, the officer repeatedly ordered him to stop, while DeSouza insisted the officer get out. At one point, he said he “ain’t going to jail.”
Inside the vehicle, DeSouza also warned, “I’m going to crash, bro,” while the officer responded, “Don’t. It’s not worth it.”
The officer later attempted to shift the car into neutral before pointing his service weapon at DeSouza and warning he would shoot if the vehicle did not stop. After 1 minute and 13 seconds from the warning, the officer fired one shot into DeSouza’s leg.
Authorities stated the officer acted to reduce the risk of death to DeSouza, himself, and the public.
The vehicle later crashed into a parked car in a residential area, and DeSouza fled on foot before being found hiding in bushes and taken into custody.
He faces multiple charges including kidnapping, robbery, assault on a peace officer, burglary, grand theft, and vehicle theft. He suffered non-life-threatening injuries, while the officer sustained minor injuries.
An independent investigation into the shooting is underway.