FARMINGTON, Conn. — WARNING: The video above is graphic in nature.
Dramatic and graphic footage released by the Farmington police on Thursday shows the night one of their officers was seriously injured when he was hit by a fleeing vehicle.
The dashcam footage is from Sept. 20 when Officer James O’Donnell was investigating a report of someone stealing catalytic converters from vehicles at Forest Condominium Complex on Talcott Forest Road.
Video from O’Donnell’s cruiser shows him driving up to a stolen vehicle that police said was driven by 32-year-old Pedro Acevedo. He places the cruiser in front of the vehicle in an attempt to block Acevedo from leaving.
Acevedo is seen backing up the vehicle before driving forward, hitting and pinning O’Donnell to his cruiser as he fled.
“My legs are [expletive] up,” O’Donnell can be heard saying in the video.
According to police, Acevedo went careening over speed bumps into the condo complex before jumping out of the vehicle and running into the woods nearby.
Police dogs were taken to the scene to try and find Acevedo, but were not successful.
He was arrested on Sept. 20 on unrelated charges and later charged Tuesday in connection with the Talcott Forest Road incident. He was held on a $750,000 bond.
O'Donnell suffered multiple broken bones and is recovering. Officials said he will have a lengthy rehabilitation to fully recover.
His wife, Kris O’Donnell, issued two statements to FOX61 News on Tuesday calling on accountability and law reform.
She said innocent people are “suffering” from this rise in crime and she wants people to be held accountable for their criminal actions.
“Training is not the problem here. A lack of respect and lack of accountability for criminals is the problem,” Kris O’Donnell said. “Let’s work as a community to build trust and respect between citizens and law enforcement because we need one another.”
RELATED: Farmington officer pinned by fleeing suspect faces long recovery from injuries, officials say
In her second statement, Kris O’Donnell said her husband is “really not doing well” and the family is taking it day-by-day.
“Overall, the abdomen was collapsed. The sacrum was broken in multiple places requiring screws. The hip/pelvic region was ‘smashed,’ as the surgeon put it,” she said. “A rod was inserted to stabilize the pelvis. This will need to be removed down the road. The right foot was also broken. Countless contusions covered the entire body.”
She added: “At this time, I do not believe I can muster up the strength to be face to face with someone who consciously made a choice to try to kill my husband. My two-year-old son, Andrew, and my six-month-old daughter, Saoirse, deserve to grow up to know their father. Maybe legislators will listen to that statement.”
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