Sand Springs Chief Believes Video Justifies Officer's Shooting

Sand Springs Police released body camera video showing what happened moments before an officer fired shots at a woman who tried to run him over with a stolen SUV.

Police said the footage shows the officer’s decision was justified.

Stacy Bunsey is in the Tulsa County Jail facing several charges, including assault and battery with a deadly weapon, running from police, resisting arrest and DUI-drugs.

Video shows, with just seconds to spare, Sand Springs Officer Matt Stacy was able to fire off two shots at Bunsey as she speed toward him and crashed into his patrol car.

Sand Springs Police Chief, Mike Carter, said, thankfully, Stacy made it out alive, with just bruises.

"My only explanation for that is he was under the protection of God because he very well should have been dead," he said.

Sand Springs Police released two body camera videos showing what happened when they said Bunsey was in a stolen car and refused to stop for officers Friday afternoon.

11/9/2015 Related Story: Body Cam Video Shows Stolen SUV Hitting Sand Springs Officer

One video shows officers trying to stop her as she drove erratically through an elementary school parking lot. Then, after hitting the officer’s car, she ran off the road into a ditch.

The second video shows what happened when they tried to get her out of the SUV. She continues to ignore officers’ commands while yelling expletives and police end up tasing Bunsey, who later told them she’d recently smoked meth.

"Couple of things I want you to notice about the video. First is the sound of the suspect vehicle, that wasn't the sound of breaking, that was the sound of accelerating," Carter said.

The chief said some have criticized his department for firing shots so close to an elementary school and for shooting at a woman who wasn’t armed, but he said she still had a weapon.

"If anyone doesn't think that person isn't armed in that situation looking at our officers, you need to recalculate. This is a 4,000-plus pound automobile, and it can kill an officer or another human being," Carter said.

He said his officer made the right call to fire two shots and stop the threat. The bullets hit the car bud did not injure Bunsey

She’s expected in court Friday.