-Tucson Police Sgt. Pete Dugan told CNN that Valencia was involved in several incidents in Tucson the day he was struck.
-At 6:45 a.m., Valencia robbed a 7-Eleven in Tucson with a metal object in his hand. Authorities said he was dressed only in his underwear. He was charged with theft.
-A little more than an hour later, police said, Valencia set a fire at a church for which he was charged with arson of an occupied structure.
-Just after that he entered a home and stole a car, police said.
-Authorities said he drove to a Walmart where he stole a .30-30 rifle and ammunition. He fled the store with Walmart employees in pursuit.
-Police encountered him in a business park walking down the road. An officer told him several times to drop the rifle, Lt. Tim Brunenkant with the Marana Police Department said in an email containing a timeline of events.
-Valencia, police said, walked away from the officer, turned a corner and stopped. Valencia pointed the rifle at the officer then walked away again toward a Coca-Cola bottling plant and another business.
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"As Mario Valencia briskly walked towards Sargent Controls (local manufacturer), Officer Michael Rapiejko uses his marked police car to stop the dangerous situation Mario Valencia created," Brunenkant wrote.
Brunenkant also said by phone that before Rapiejko's encounter with Valencia, the suspect had pointed the rifle at his head multiple times and threatened suicide before fleeing.
-At 6:45 a.m., Valencia robbed a 7-Eleven in Tucson with a metal object in his hand. Authorities said he was dressed only in his underwear. He was charged with theft.
-A little more than an hour later, police said, Valencia set a fire at a church for which he was charged with arson of an occupied structure.
-Just after that he entered a home and stole a car, police said.
-Authorities said he drove to a Walmart where he stole a .30-30 rifle and ammunition. He fled the store with Walmart employees in pursuit.
-Police encountered him in a business park walking down the road. An officer told him several times to drop the rifle, Lt. Tim Brunenkant with the Marana Police Department said in an email containing a timeline of events.
-Valencia, police said, walked away from the officer, turned a corner and stopped. Valencia pointed the rifle at the officer then walked away again toward a Coca-Cola bottling plant and another business.
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Brunenkant also said by phone that before Rapiejko's encounter with Valencia, the suspect had pointed the rifle at his head multiple times and threatened suicide before fleeing.
One thing that is consistent in most if not all of these encounters is that the victim is immediately put on trial by those defending the cops. It has always been my understanding that suspects get judged by a jury of their peers, not by cops. Im pretty sure there were other options than speeding up and hitting the guy. My only real problem was with the speed the car was going, im sure a similar apprehension could have happened at a slower speed.
