A Florida police officer named Julian Garcia found himself struck by a cop car, pinning him between the vehicle of a suspect who had been flagged down during a traffic stop. The registered owner, Andrew Gibson, of the vehicle had an arrest warrant out for him.
However, while the officers were making the arrest, a driver, seemingly inebriated, rammed into the car that was stationed behind the vehicle of the suspect, trapping Officer Garcia between the vehicle that was stopped and the cop car that had lurched forward as a result of the crash.
Garcia was seen saying, “Move my car. I can’t. Move back. Pull that one back. Pull it back. Move that car back. Okay. Give me give me rescue.”
The drunk driver, as can be seen from the dashcam and bodycam footage posted online by the Midwest Safety channel on YouTube, has been identified as Alexandra Baraga. Baraga was immediately removed from her vehicle after the accident and could be seen apologising profusely.
Officer Garcia received severe injuries to his legs and was given immediate first aid by officers on the scene. Andrew Gibson, the man who was to be arrested on the scene, remained at the scene, asking after the officer’s condition.
Gibson was seen asking, “officer you okay?”
Gibson would be take ot prison to execute his warrant, while Baraga was charged with multiple counts of DUIs, along with other charges of causing serious bodily harm. Officer Garcia had to undergo multiple surgeries and also had his left leg amputated. Garcia has since been rehabilitated and uses a prosthetic limb to go around. He has also returned to active police duty, according ot certain sources.
The Florida driver, 26-year-old Baraga, was found to have a blood alcohol content of .31% and was charged with multiple felonies, including DUI causing serious bodily injury
Comments under the video have been very supportive of the officer, and also have praised Gibson for not taking the opportunity to run from the scene or try to spin it in his favor. Baraga, on the other hand, has been on the receiving end of much hate and vitriol in the comments, given that her actions could have cost a police officer his life.
The top comment under the video read, “He got his leg amputated, went through physical therapy to learn to walk with a prosthetic, and returned to duty all before that woman was convicted of anything. At this rate, he’ll be retired before she does.”
Another comment said, talking about Baraga, “She should never, EVER be allowed behind the wheel EVER again.”
A third user commented, “I gotta give props to the handcuffed suspect showing concern for the wounded cop. And for being compliant even before the accident. I hope he succeeds in turning his life around.”
A fourth user wrote, “Kudos to the young man for immediately expressing concern for the officer. I hope his good behavior was taken into consideration when his warrant was dealt with.”
