Monday, February 6, 2017
Texas officer hit by fleeing driver released from hospital
After being run over twice, Cpl. Elise Bowden didn’t believe she was going to survive
Today at 5:00 AM
By Domingo Ramirez Jr.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
ARLINGTON, Texas — After being run over twice Wednesday night, Arlington police Cpl. Elise Bowden didn’t believe she was going to survive.
But the mother of eight made it, and on Sunday, Bowden got to go home from the hospital.
“I’m just overwhelmed,” an emotional Bowden said just outside John Peter Smith Hospital as she sat in a wheelchair.
Dozens of co-workers, police, friends, relatives and hospital staffers lined up and cheered as she was led outside, accompanied by her husband, Arlington police Sgt. Brad Norman, and Police Chief Will Johnson.
“Another detective from Dallas who got run over himself came to tell me, ‘You’ll survive this,’ ” Bowden said. “I know I will. I already did. Everything I have is mendable.”
Lt. Christopher Cook, police spokesman, said Sunday that two dashcam videos from patrol cars captured the incident.
“It’s a very difficult and hard video to watch,” Cook said. “It shows how close to death she was.”
Cook said that the department would work with the Tarrant County district attorney’s office on a possible release of the videos.
Bowden was conducting a traffic stop at 11:38 p.m. Wednesday in the 1700 block of Spring Lake Drive when she noticed that the driver, Tavis Crane, had warrants for his arrest. Four people were in the car, including a 2-year-old.
Crane had a felony warrant from Dallas County for a probation violation and multiple misdemeanor warrants out of Grand Prairie, police said.
Bowden called for backup, and two units responded.
“She was very polite. The suspect was given so many chances to get out of the vehicle that I’d say she was begging him to get out,” Cook said Sunday.
Crane refused to comply as Bowden walked to the back of the car and officer Craig Roper entered the suspect’s car through a passenger door. Crane put the car in reverse, hitting Bowden and slamming into her patrol car, police said.
“The impact knocked the police car out of position,” Cook said.
Crane pulled forward, again running over Bowden as Crane tried to flee, police said.
Roper, who by then was in a rear passenger seat, shot at Crane.
Crane’s car came to a stop at the end of the road, police said. Nobody else was injured.
Crane was taken to Arlington Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 12:31 a.m. Thursday.
Bowden has been with the Arlington Police Department since May 20, 2002.
Roper, who has been on the force since January 2015, remains on administrative leave.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
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