Man Killed By Pensacola Police Car

Update
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement have identified the victim as 17-year-old Victor Damarius Steen. Investigators were able to identify the victim from a cell phone that was recovered from the scene. It was used to contact family members that positively identified the victim.

10-03-2009
The young man hasn’t been identified yet. Authorities say he lead officer Jerald Ard on a chase early this morning, 10/3/09. Ard was in his patrol car and the man was on his bike.

Pensacola Police say it started near the intersection of T and Cervantes Streets. Officer Jerald Ard tried to question a man they say was acting suspicious around a construction site. He hopped on his bike and led the officer on a chase that ended with the man dead, pinned under the patrol car.

“I saw a cop car, like pretty much right over this median by a bush, across the street and I saw orange shoes underneath,” says Chrystal Tremer. She was working at Sluggo’s Vegetarian Restaurant when the crash happened. She was there with her co-worker Ashley Krey.

“Everyone outside was completely shocked we started taking photographs automatically and trying to document what was going on,” says Krey. He, and others at the scene, say officers eventually threatened to confiscate cameras if the photography continued.

Officials say the officer tried repeatedly to get the man to stop and tried and failed to hit him with a stun-gun. Police say the man crashed his bike leading to the collision, but some witnesses say the Taser connected while Ard was behind the wheel and the man was dragged several feet by the car.

“There was a lot of anger out there I personally just, I couldn't fathom it at first and I think everyone just got really angry, there were people crying,” says Krey. Pensacola Police offered no comment beyond their news release. The incident has shaken some people's confidence in the cops.

“It's just shady stuff that happens and it hasn't changed, that's just my opinion,” says Ken Sajovie. He lives near where the crash site happened and says he may have talked to the victim right before the chase. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Florida Highway Patrol are investigating.