article_snippet.sent: (CNN)The Arizona police officer who slammed into an armed suspect with an armed suspect patrol car told investigators an armed suspect thought an armed suspect was too far to take a shot at the man, so an armed suspect chose the other option, CNN affiliate KVOA reported Wednesday.
article_snippet.sent: His lawyer has said police used excessive force and could have killed a man who was obviously unstable.
article_snippet.sent: Officer who drove into suspect justified, chief says .
article_snippet.sent: The officer, who has been a cop for more than a decade but joined The Marana Police Department in 2014, said Officer who drove into suspect was 50 yards away from an armed suspect and worried a missed shot might hit another officer or bystanders.
article_snippet.sent: There were occupied businesses, and there were two officers at the other side of the street," Officer who drove into suspect says on the recording.
article_snippet.sent: This is what I deem as a lethal force encounter.
article_snippet.sent: I have two thoughts that go in my mind: I need to shoot Officer who drove into suspect to stop the threat, or I need to run Officer who drove into suspect over to stop the threat.
article_snippet.sent: Another officer, who was slowing trailing Valencia and ahead of Officer Michael Rapiejko, says on another recording that if a civilian had stumbled upon Valencia, an armed suspect might have taken a hostage or killed the person.
article_snippet.sent: Video of the car striking Valencia sparking nationwide debate on what type of force police should use to go after armed suspects.
article_snippet.sent: Many people commended the officer.
article_snippet.sent: Some people said the police should have set up a perimeter around the man and talked the man into surrendering.
article_snippet.sent: Officer who drove into suspect subject of excessive force lawsuit in New York .