South Bend (Ind.) Police officers shot a career criminal who had rammed two squad cars after a vehicle pursuit on Saturday.
The incident began as a traffic stop in the 1600 block of South Bend Avenue just before 5 p.m. Saturday. About eight minutes into the stop, Joseph Stambaugh, 37, fled and officers pursued him. Officers were forced to fire on him after he smashed head-on into a squad car near Perley Primary Fine Arts Academy and started trying to ram others, reports the South Bend Tribune. He was shot seven times.
Jeremy Stambaugh, the suspect's older brother, criticized officers for using what he said was excessive force.
"If he pulled a gun and started firing – yeah, that warrants being shot to death," Jeremy told WSBT. "If you killed somebody and someone saw you do it – yeah, that warrants you be put to death. Running from somebody? No, I don't see where that warrants it."
Stambaugh had been released from prison about a year ago and has a lengthy criminal history of drug and traffic violations. He was charged with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon.
