An off-duty Pennsylvania police officer is facing charges after he allegedly chased down an SUV and rammed it off the road. Four people were inside, and two were hospitalized. According to court records, the chase followed an incident involving his son at a Walmart. The officer is 38-year-old Derek Jeziorkowski, of the Hermitage Police Department. He’s been charged and is due in court, though he hasn’t been convicted of anything.
The incident happened around 9:30 p.m. on Friday, June 26. According to WFMJ, which reviewed the complaint, it started with something involving Jeziorkowski’s son at a Walmart in Greenville. Jeziorkowski, who was off duty at the time, is accused of then chasing the SUV. Police say the people in the vehicle tried to get away from him.
What the officer allegedly did next is the heart of the case. The complaint says he pulled in front of the SUV and rammed it as it tried to go around him, a move known as a PIT maneuver. The SUV went off the road. It struck a utility pole’s anchor wire and a tree, then flipped over.
Two of the four people in the SUV were taken to the hospital with what state police called suspected serious injuries. The group included three 18-year-olds and a 33-year-old. Jeziorkowski has since been charged with multiple counts, including aggravated assault, and placed on leave. What he’s accused of, and the police tactic at the center of it, are worth a closer look.
What Happened At the Walmart
According to the complaint, the trouble started at the Walmart and spilled onto the road. After the incident involving his son, Jeziorkowski allegedly went after the SUV. The people inside realized they were being followed. They turned around to try to lose him. Investigators say he turned too, in what the complaint calls a reckless manner, and kept up the chase.
The chase ended with the alleged PIT maneuver. The complaint says Jeziorkowski cut in front of the SUV and struck it as the driver tried to steer around him. The vehicle left the road, hit the anchor wire and a tree, and rolled over. Witnesses told police that he then walked up to the wrecked SUV and shouted at the people inside. By their account, he said in effect that this was what came of messing with his kid. Two of the occupants were hurt badly enough to need a hospital.
What’s A PIT Maneuver, Anyway?
A PIT maneuver is a police driving tactic, not a move for a personal dispute. Officers are trained to use it to end a pursuit by tapping a fleeing car’s rear corner to spin it to a stop. Even for police, it’s governed by strict policy, because it can easily cause a serious or deadly crash. That’s the crux of this case. Jeziorkowski wasn’t on duty, and the people in the SUV weren’t fleeing suspects. They were, according to prosecutors, ordinary people he chose to chase.
The charges reflect how serious that is. Jeziorkowski faces four counts each of aggravated assault, simple assault, and recklessly endangering another person, one set for each person in the SUV, plus traffic violations. He was arraigned the day after the crash and is due back in court on July 7. His department has placed him on leave while the case proceeds.