ladbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Police Officer Flips Pregnant Woman’s Car Because She Didn’t Pull Over Fast Enough

Police Officer Flips Pregnant Woman’s Car Because She Didn’t Pull Over Fast Enough

Nicole Harper was trying to find a safe place to pull over when Officer Dunn pulled a Precision Immobilization Technique.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

A police officer is being sued for flipping a pregnant woman's car because she didn't pull over fast enough.

Nicole Harper was driving near Jacksonville, Arkansas in June last year when she noticed a police car behind her signal for her to pull over.

She whacked on her hazard lights and slowed down to try and find a decent spot to pull in, which is in keeping with the Arkansas Driver License Study Guide.

According to Nicole, she was driving towards an exit ramp because the highway shoulder was reportedly narrow where she was driving. But she claims she wasn't given adequate time to stop, even though officer Rodney Dunn had been flashing his lights for two minutes.

Vision from officer Dunn's car shows him edge up close to the left hand side of Ms Harper's vehicle and nudge it, which is called a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT). That caused the red SUV to bank left and smash into a road divider and flip onto its roof.

Nicole can be heard on the dashcam footage screaming out that she's pregnant as smoke billows from the underside of her card.

Officer Dunn replied telling Harper 'this is where you ended up' because she did not stop fast enough. Police are claiming Nicole was attempting to 'flee' the officer and that she was a danger to other drivers.

Nicole has since launched a lawsuit against Officer Dunn and the Arkansas State Police.

Arkansas State Police

The Mises Institute reports the legal challenge has been brought before the police department for negligently 'using a PIT manoeuvre and putting her own life and the life of her unborn child at risk as a result'.

She's also claimed the department didn't teach Dunn the manoeuvre correctly and he failed to check who was inside the car before he attempted the PIT.

Arkansas prevents police officers from having any personal responsibilities when they're working and grants them immunity from these sorts of things.

Under the 2016 law code, it states: "The members, officers, executive director, and employees of the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision shall be immune from suit and liability, either personally or in their official capacity, for any claim for damage to or loss of property or personal injury or other civil liability caused or arising out of any actual or alleged act, error, or omission that occurred within the scope of interstate commission employment, duties, or responsibilities; provided, that nothing in this subdivision (a)(1) of this section shall be construed to protect any such person from suit and/or liability for any damage, loss, injury, or liability caused by the intentional or willful and wanton misconduct of any such person.

However, Nicole's lawyer is hoping to get some sort of result against the police department by arguing 'Dunn chose to use a deadly force against a pregnant woman who was in the process of looking for a safe place to stop'.

LADbible has contacted Arkansas Police Department for a comment.

Featured Image Credit: Arkansas State Police

Topics: News