SPRINGFIELD — Newly-released police dash camera footage shows the moments a Springfield police officer crashed into a fence while chasing a teen, sending the teen onto the top of the chasing cruiser.
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The footage was obtained following a News Center 7 public records request into the May 22 incident involving Springfield police Officer Christopher Armstrong and three teens who ran from the scene. This news outlet requested the video on the day of the pursuit after being notified a police cruiser was involved in the incident.
Footage of the chase shows the moment Armstrong takes up the pursuit in Springfield through the time the stolen minivan crashed on Fairfield Pike in Mad River Twp.
An Ohio State Highway Patrol crash investigation revealed one of the teens, previously identified by family members as Tyron Moore, 16, of Urbana, was hurt after the van crashed into a ditch. Moore was also injured, but not as severely, when he climbed a fence to get away but landed on top of Armstrong’s cruiser when the officer crashed into the fence, an Ohio State Highway Patrol crash investigation found.
The footage released Tuesday shows the crash as described in the state trooper incident report, including blood on the police cruiser from Moore’s injury. State troopers listed Moore’s injuries in the first crash involving only the stolen minivan as “suspected serious injuries.” While the second crash, involving Moore and the Springfield police cruiser, his injuries were listed as “possible injuries.”
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“The occupants of the suspect’s vehicle fled on foot. (Armstrong) continued to pursue the occupants through the yard at 4655 Fairfield Pike. (Moore) was climbing a wooden fence when (Armstrong) struck the fence. (Moore) struck the right front hood / fender of (Armstrong’s cruiser),” state troopers documented in the crash report.
State troopers noted that after the cruiser hit the fence, and Moore then hit the cruiser, Moore tried to run away again before he was caught and placed into custody. Cruiser camera footage released Tuesday shows the incident as described.
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A Springfield police spokesperson said Tuesday that the cruiser Armstrong was driving skidded on wet grass before crashing into the fence which sent Moore onto the cruiser.
“The fleeing teens scale a wooden fence and one of the following police cruisers skids 18 feet on the damp grass, knocking over part of the fence. This caused (Moore), who was on top of the fence, to fall and brush the hood of the cruiser before tumbling to the grass,” the spokesperson said.
Moore and the other two teens were later located and arrested near the scene of the minivan crash.
After Moore runs again, Armstrong stops the cruiser with a weapon in his hand shouting at Moore.
“You better get down f*****. I’m going to shoot you boy,” Armstrong said in the video.
Springfield Police Chief Allison Elliott said the video released Tuesday, 22 days after News Center 7′s initial public records request, was released to ‘ensure transparency.’
“We’re releasing this incident review video and the cruiser camera footage to ensure transparency and to show the community the crime spree that led to this pursuit,” Chief Elliott continued. “Police pursuits can be dangerous, but getting violent, armed individuals who terrorize the community off our streets will always be a top priority. Even though these individuals who committed these offenses are young, they were a genuine threat.”
News Center 7 requested an interview with Elliott, but the request was denied. A city spokesperson stated Tuesday the city would not have someone available for an interview and would not comment further outside the press release and video sent today. Instead, Springfield police sent an additional video with Elliott speaking on camera, but she was not made available to reporters for questions.
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Elliott did tell News Center 7′s John Bedell at an event in Springfield Tuesday she met with Moore’s family but declined additional comments.
Moore’s family members who previously talked with News Center 7 acknowledged the meeting with Elliott but declined an additional interview or comment. Family members previously said Springfield police didn’t tell them Moore was involved in the incident with the cruiser.
It’s unknown if Armstrong was ever under an internal or criminal investigation for his actions during the chase, including hitting the fence Moore was trying to climb. It was also not known if Armstrong either violated policy or faced any internal discipline for the language and statements while chasing Moore.
News Center 7 has reached out to the Springfield city spokesperson with questions about Armstrong’s employment status, and we’re awaiting a response.
An Ohio State Highway Patrol spokesperson said their investigation to the crash involving Armstrong’s cruiser and Moore is still being finalized. Once the crash report has been finalized it will be presented to prosecutors for consideration of charges.
The city spokesperson noted the department requested the independent Ohio State Highway Patrol review into the crash, but Springfield police were not required to do so.
An Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation spokesperson previously said the department was not involved in the investigation.
Crime Spree Investigation
The May 22 pursuit was part of a string of crimes Moore, 18-year-old Ronald Chaney, and two other teens are accused of and facing charges, according to Springfield police.
The pursuit in the video stemmed from an alleged armed carjacking where Moore pointed a gun at the head of a nurse going to work and stole her minivan, police said.
“Four teenagers went on an armed, violent crime spree on May 22nd that terrorized multiple victims in our community. Armed with a semiautomatic, .40 caliber handgun, these teens stole a minivan, carjacked a nurse on her way to work, and attempted two more carjackings, including Tyron Moore Jr. pointing a loaded gun at one woman’s head and telling her, ‘get out of the car (expletive), or I’ll shoot you!’” Elliott said.
Moore and two other teens were all caught after the minivan crash. Chaney was caught in Springfield just after the pursuit started.
Chaney was indicted by a Clark County grand jury on charges of aggravated robbery, two counts of complicity, and one count of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, according to online court records. Chaney pleaded not guilty to charges during an appearance on June 1 and bond was set at $50,000. He is no longer listed as an inmate in the Clark County Jail Tuesday.
Prosecutors are looking to move the case involving the other three teens, including Moore, to adult court because of the severity of the crimes, and will likely face additional felony charges, police said.
“The Clark County Prosecutor’s Office has been working with the Springfield Police since this incident occurred. We’re looking at all the evidence in the case and anticipate, because of the seriousness of these offenses, that we’ll seek to have the juveniles bound over to adult court,” Prosecutor Dan Driscoll said in the police department’s media release.
We’ll continue to update this story as we learn more.
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