Arizona officer who drove into suspect faced lawsuit in NY

PHOENIX — The Arizona officer whose sensational dashcam video of him driving into a suspect was sued in New York City for use of excessive force.

Tucson’s KVOA-TV news obtained court documents from the 2005 incident, in which Luis Colon accused the rookie officer of pointing a gun at him, threatening to shoot and choking him.

Michael Rapiejko (Marana Police Department/AP Photo)

This week, Rapiejko ran down Mario Valencia, who had been walking down a street in Marana, Arizona, carrying a rifle. Valencia was a suspect in a home invasion, store robbery and car theft.

A decade ago, Colon said he had gotten out of his parked car, and was confronted by Rapiejko, who ordered Colon back inside the car and threatened to shoot him.

The lawsuit was settled three years later for $20,000.

Rapiejko joined Marana Police last year, after a few years with Tucson Police.