Mom Tries to Evade Ticket, Cop Shoots at Minivan Full of Kids
She was just trying to take her kids to the Rio Grande. Or that's what Oriana Ferrell says in this newly released dashcam footage from an Oct. 28 incident outside of Taos, New Mexico.
The video shows Ferrell being pulled over in a minivan for going 71 miles per hour in a 55 miles per hour zone. Ferrell, with her five children in the car, begins arguing with the officer. As the cop walks back toward his car to write her a ticket, Ferrell pulls away from the scene and is again pulled over immediately by the same officer.
The police officer tries to pull Ferrell out of the car and when this happens, her 14-year-old son momentarily gets out of the car to defend his mother but is stopped when the cop pulls out his Taser. A larger scuffle ensues, the 14-year-old rushes the policeman, and by the time backup arrives, one officer uses a baton to break the window of the van. Another cop, naturally, pulls out his gun and fires three shots at the back of the minivan filled with children ages six to 18, three of whom were in the backseat.
Ferrell then dangerously led police on a four-minute chase through the streets of Taos and eventually pulled into a hotel where she was arrested with five counts of abuse of a child, aggravated fleeing an officer, resisting an officer, reckless driving and possession of drug paraphernalia. The Taos News reports that two marijuana pipes were found in the car. Ferrell's 14-year-old son was also arrested with battery of an officer.
According to KRQE, State Police are not releasing the names of the officers involved in the incident and while their actions have led to an internal investigation, but the men have not been removed from active duty.