On July 10, 2024, Officer Ronald Ammerman was conducting a vehicle stop when he discovered a loaded handgun in the car under the driver’s seat. Additionally, the driver’s young nephew was in the front passenger seat.
Officer Ammerman instructed the driver to exit the vehicle. The driver instead accelerated, fleeing the scene with the driver’s door still open. Officer Ammerman was dragged alongside the vehicle as he held onto the door. While being dragged, he repeatedly ordered the suspect to stop. The suspect responded by violently kicking at Officer Ammerman in an attempt to dislodge him. The vehicle had reached speeds in excess of 60MPh at this point. Officer Ammerman opened fire and stopped the driver from dislodging him at 60 plus MPH. Both he and the driver tumbled from the vehicle into the street. Officer Ammerman immediately ran to the vehicle to make sure the young passenger was OK and get him to a secure location. Officer Ammerman and the suspect were taken to the hospital for treatment. Officer Ammerman’s torso was protected by his Safariland® SX02 Level II armor worn in a V1 EXT® carrier. The suspect did not survive the encounter. The nephew was unharmed in the incident. Officer Ammerman suffered severe road rash in areas not protected by his armor and has required surgery for an injury to his shoulder. He hopes to return to full duty in the future.
We welcome Officer Ronald Ammerman as SAVE #2253 to The Safariland Group Saves Club®.
