A chaotic scene captured on video on Sunday evening in Atlanta ended with law enforcement making an arrest at gunpoint.
Kevin Alves Da Saliva, 20, of Marietta, Georgia, has been charged with fleeing and eluding, reckless driving, hit-and-run and serious injury by a motor vehicle. The fleeing and eluding charge is a felony charge.
The incident unfolded at approximately 7:35 p.m., a Georgia Department of Public Safety (DPS) spokesperson told Newsweek via email Monday morning. An on-duty Georgia Safety Patrol (GSP) trooper was observing the scene at the closed down intersection of 17th Street and Northside Drive where traffic was blocked and a large crowd had gathered.
In a video posted by ATL Uncensored to X, formerly known as Twitter, a black Ford F-150 can be seen doing donuts in the middle of the intersection, drawing the trooper's attention. The vehicle in question then flees from the trooper whose emergency lights were activated.
The suspect, whose name is currently being withheld by Georgia DPS, struck several pedestrians while attempting to get away from law enforcement. One of the individuals who was hit suffered an injury, though DPS would not disclose the severity of that injury.
Warning: This video contains strong language that some may find offensive.
In the video, the trooper quickly catches up to the truck and performs a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) maneuver, which is used by law enforcement personnel to cause fleeing vehicles to turn 180 degrees and subsequently stall and stop.
In this instance, the F-150 was forced over a curb and became disabled. The trooper who made the maneuver can be seen on video quickly exiting his vehicle with his gun in hand, proceeding to jump and slide across his hood while simultaneously aiming at the suspect.
The driver of the vehicle is then forcibly removed through his vehicle's window by the trooper with one hand. The suspect is flipped over face-first on the trooper's hood, handcuffed and then taken into custody. All details related to the suspect and any potential charges were not provided by authorities.
Street racing and stunt driving incidents have previously drawn the attention of local and state law enforcement in Georgia.
Between April 1-3, the Atlanta Police Department, along with GSP, the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, and Georgia State University Police, and Capital Police, initiated a multi-agency response for street racing incidents that resulted in five arrests and additional arrests after the fact. One of the suspects arrested reportedly had two firearms, an AR-15 and a Glock 22, in his vehicle, according to the Atlanta PD.
"The Atlanta Police Department will continue to enforce GA [Georgia] state laws and City of Atlanta ordinances against any groups or individuals who engage in illegal street racing activity," Atlanta PD said in a press release on its website at the time. "Deterring street racing activity is a top priority for our department as the summer approaches and we will continue to work alongside multiple neighboring agencies to arrest street racing offenders, as well impound any vehicles involved in street racing activity."
Newsweek reached out via email to Atlanta PD for arrest statistics this summer in relation to reckless driving incidents.
Update 08/22/23, 4:12 p.m. ET: This story was updated with charges for the suspect.
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