Originally posted by: David Miller
That is exactly what happened and is verified by the multiple videos shown across news media and throughout the internet. You can hear the car strike the officer as she accelerated - as verified in the video. How else would anyone describe seeing and hearing the vehicle hitting him when it is obvious that is exactly what happened?
The video does show the agent getting hit by the car. The video does not show what was in the mind of the driver (or the agent) My speculation is that the driver's focus was on the agent attempting to open the door. I think she panicked, and tried to escape. I don't think she saw the other agent until it was too late.
This does not mean that I necessarily fault the agent for making a decision to fire in that moment. It was reasonable to believe that he was in fear of great bodily injury.
Certain questions remain as to what degree she was interfering with operations and what kind of operations.
If it is determined that the detention was not reasonable then the agent loses his self-defense claim. If it is determined that the initial detention attempt was reasonable then The claim to self-defense will be maintained.
For one's own safety it is generally advisable to comply with government agents when they attempt a detention. Even if one feels that detention is unlawful. Fleeing or fighting rarely ends well for anyone.