MIAMI (WSVN) - 7News exclusively obtained dash camera footage of a Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) trooper performing a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) maneuver to stop an impaired driver who refused to comply with the officer. The incident occurred in March on the MacArthur Causeway, where state troopers were on patrol during spring break due to an emergency declaration in Miami Beach because of violent crime.
The video shows an FHP trooper driving eastbound on Interstate 395 past Watson Island when he attempted to make contact with the driver of a Nissan SUV.
“He’s failing to stop,” said Andrew Sackmann on dashcam video.
Lt. Alex Camacho of the FHP said that the trooper suspected the driver of the SUV to be impaired and made the call to stop the driver to get him off the road immediately. With light traffic and no other cars in the area, the trooper decided to use a PIT maneuver to stop the suspect’s vehicle.
“The best way to get the vehicle to stop was to conduct a PIT maneuver,” said Camacho.
After informing his fellow troopers of the maneuver, the trooper bumped the suspect’s back driver-side bumper. The car then went over the median and into the westbound lanes. Fortunately, neither of the two people inside the vehicle was seriously injured.
The driver, 34-year-old Kevin Palmamolina, was charged with driving recklessly and drunk, along with other charges. He was accused of fleeing and eluding, driving under the influence, and driving a stolen car from New York City. His female passenger was injured but not charged.
Palmamolina failed a sobriety test and was taken to the hospital before being escorted to jail.
“Vehicles that are fleeing from us are typically not playing by the rules. They’re driving recklessly,” said Camacho.
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