Graphic video captures officer struck by van

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - The Dayton Police Department just released a cruiser cam video of the night an officer was hit by a van.

It shows the moments before and after Officer Willie Hooper was hit while deploying stop sticks in an attempt to stop Michael Hargrove.

Officers were trying to stop Hargrove after he made suicidal threats.  He also claimed he had a bomb in his SUV.  The incident took place Tuesday, November 27 at Salem Avenue and Philadelphia Drive.

Officer Hooper suffered a fractured shoulder blade, but he is going to be just fine.

He joins a long list of officers hurt while deploying stop sticks.  Between 1996 and 2010 at least 21 officers nationwide have been killed while deploying stop sticks.

Sergeant Jeff Kramer with the Ohio State Patrol proved it takes only seconds to deploy stop sticks

"There is multiple angles of hundreds of little spiky strips in here. They're of different angles so vehicles can run over them," said Sgt. Jeff Kramer, Ohio State Highway Patrol.

Sergeant Kramer says what makes stop sticks dangerous is the unpredictable nature of the suspect fleeing.  "They'll go left. They'll go right and it puts the officer in a lot of danger."

This is not the first time an officer's been hit.  It happened in Warren County.

In May 2011, Sheriff Sergeant Brian Dulle was deploying stop sticks on State Route 42 when he was struck and killed by the suspect's fleeing vehicle.

"You not only have to watch the suspects vehicle, but you do have to be mindful of other vehicles, innocent bystanders if you will. They are going down the road thinking about getting from point A to point B. Next thing you know they are in the middle of a high speed or slow speed pursuit," said Kramer.