Dashcam Shows Former Officer Who Pleaded Guilty To Using Excessive Force During Chase

The Lake Charles Police Department has released dash cam footage of a May 2017 incident involving a former LCPD officer who pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law in federal court. According to the offense report, at around 4:35 a.m. on May 8, 2017 the driver was traveling on I-10 eastbound in the middle lane, when he ‘began to suddenly switch lanes from the middle lane to the outside lane of travel Pfc. [Robert] Hammac had to quickly exit the lane of travel and start entering the emergency shoulder of the roadway to keep from being struck by the vehicle’. LCPD officers attempted to pull over the driver; they exited on Fruge Street, but the driver ‘passed up several areas of the interstate shoulder and business parking lots to bring his vehicle to a stop’. The report goes on to say the driver ‘refused to stop for officers’ as an LCPD officer ‘called out the traffic stop’ and told dispatch the driver ‘was refusing to stop for officers’.



The report states the driver got back on to I-10 eastbound from Beldon St. The driver led officers on a police pursuit down to the I-10/210 interchange where the driver ‘began picking up speed, where he would rapidly change lanes to try and get away from the officers. When the police pursuit hit I-210, the report states the driver ‘and officers reached speeds of approximately 114 miles per hour’. The driver exited 210 at Legion Street, where the report states ‘he struck a raised concrete curb on the exit ramp. Due to the speed and impact, the front driver side tire blew out’. The report goes on to say the driver ‘appeared to be losing control of his vehicle where he struck a Nissan Armada’.



The driver then re-entered I-210, leading authorities back on to I-10. According to the offense report, Hammac was instructed to ‘when safe’, pass the driver ‘and set up to deploy his spike strips’. The report goes on to say Hammac ‘stopped his fully marked patrol Tahoe at Exit 36 [Creole exit], where he was able to safely deploy his spike strips’. Officers ‘noticed the driver side rear and both passenger side tires began losing air, slowing the vehicle down’ but the driver ‘was not going to stop for officers’.



The report states officers attempted a pit maneuver 4 times before the 5th pit maneuver was successful. The driver’s car spun out, but the report states the driver did not stop until ‘he went head-on with Pfc. Hammac and struck Pfc Hammac head-on, causing a two vehicle crash’ which ended the police pursuit. Several officers exited their vehicles, including Hammac, and surrounded the car, attempting to pull the driver out. In dash cam footage, Hammac can be seen entering the passenger side of the car, pulling the driver towards him, repeatedly punching him.



The report states ‘Pfc. Hammac began giving several closed fist strikes, trying to also break the suspects grasp from the steering wheel’. The driver was then placed under arrest.The report states the police pursuit lasted around 9 minutes and went approximately 12 miles. Hammac pleaded guilty August 15 to to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law for the May 2017 incident. He faces a maximum term of 10 years and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced by U.S. Judge James D. Cain Jr. on Nov. 14.