‘I ain’t going to jail’: California cop gets trapped inside a fleeing robbery suspect’s car, and the standoff inside that vehicle was just the beginning

Body camera footage has captured the moment a police officer was trapped inside a fleeing robbery suspect’s car in Antioch, California. The incident happened when officers responded to an armed robbery at a store after suspects were seen backing a car into the building and breaking its windows. One of the suspects allegedly pointed a gun at a store employee, prompting police to move in.

As officers arrived, one of them got into the passenger side of the suspect’s vehicle. What he did not know was that the driver was about to speed away with him still inside. The suspect, 23-year-old Dominick DeSouza, hit the gas and drove off, with the officer still in the passenger seat.

According to The Sun, the officer repeatedly told DeSouza to “stop the car,” but DeSouza refused and told the officer to “get out” instead. DeSouza then said, “I’m gonna crash,” as the officer tried to grab his arm and shift the car into neutral. DeSouza fought back and would not let him.

The officer shot DeSouza in the leg to avoid a more deadly outcome

At one point, DeSouza threatened to crash the car and said, “I ain’t going to jail.” The officer drew his gun and warned that he would shoot. DeSouza told him to “put the gun down” and said he didn’t trust him. California has seen no shortage of bizarre criminal cases lately, including three people arrested for dressing as bears to commit insurance fraud.

Things got worse when the officer tried to hit DeSouza with the butt of the gun. The officer then shot DeSouza in the leg, which police say was done “to reduce the likelihood of a fatality.” Even after being shot, DeSouza crashed the car into a parked vehicle and tried to run. He was found hiding in a bush nearby and was arrested shortly after.

The Antioch Police Department placed the officer on administrative leave, and an investigation is currently underway. The body camera footage has been released to the public and shows the full confrontation inside the moving vehicle. It gives a clear look at how dangerous and unpredictable situations like this can become for officers in the field.

The state has also been dealing with other tragic incidents, such as a man’s fatal fall from a hotel patio after trying to escape a fight. The investigation is still ongoing, and more details are expected to come out as the case moves forward.