Dangerous Suspect Takedown Shows Why Cops Say “Raise Your Hands”
The apprehension of a wanted suspect and probable car thief shows exactly why police tell people to keep their hands where they can see them when they're confronting a potential suspect.
Early Friday morning, Pasco police responded to a call about a suspicious person lingering near a car in the 100 block of West Sylvester.
When police arrived, they found 34-year-old Angel Martinez leaning in through the window of a vehicle with Oregon plates. When confronted, he covered one of his hands with a sweatshirt, which caught the eye of the officers. He then sat in the car with the sweatshirt underneath him, which also made the officers suspicious. When they ran the plates, the car was found to have been stolen out of Salem, OR a week ago.
Martinez then refused the officer's attempts to remove him from the car, while at the same time trying to reach underneath him and under the sweatshirt. Turns out he was going for a gun. He was Tasered and subdued, and officers found a loaded 9mm pistol. It was underneath the sweatshirt he was sitting on.
He had previous felony convictions and was in possession of a stolen car, so he was off to jail. Being a felon, he's also not allowed to have a gun.
Situations like this are why officers demand potential suspects keep their hands in plain view. They don't like 'surprises' like suspects pulling guns from underneath clothing or other areas.