Downtown/Sat March 6/3:15 am: Officer Christopher Gregorio reports: “I was working with my partner Officer John Marion on uniformed bike patrol. While on First Avenue, we were passing by a parking lot when I observed several males sitting in an idling black Lexus (4dr). As I was riding past the car, the two front occupants slouched down in what I perceived as an attempt to conceal themselves from us.
“I got off my bike, walked up to the front passenger window, and identified myself as a Seattle Police officer. I ordered everyone to show me their hands and all occupants complied. I asked them why they were just sitting in the parking lot, and the driver stated they were just getting ready to go into a nearby nightclub. I told them that there is a lot of gang activity in this area and slumping down as we approached made them suspicious.
“I asked to see identification. The driver with a high-pitched voice said, ‘Why?’ The driver (whom I can identify) slammed the gearshift (which was between the driver and passenger) into reverse and began backing up. I drew my gun and ordered him to stop. I could hear two voices shout: ‘GO, GO, GO!’
“I took two steps with the vehicle, continuously ordering them to stop. The driver, who did not comply, put the vehicle into drive and drove his car toward me at a high rate of speed. I had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit. I immediately broadcast my location, vehicle, and suspect information to south radio… Another officer located the vehicle at Rainier Avenue South and Massachusetts Street. The vehicle was still traveling at a high rate of speed and in a reckless and wanton manner, but the officer lost sight of the vehicle.”
The mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, lovers of the men in the black Lexus must call Officer Gregorio and thank him for not pulling that trigger. The blast of bullets, explosions of glass, blood everywhere, screaming ambulances, confusion in the emergency room, the final flat line—this tragedy was only a squeeze away.
The officer needs to be thanked not only because he did the right/rational thing but also because the media and community organizations are in the habit of expressing great interest in officers who do pull the trigger in tough or suspicious situations, expressing little to no interest in the many officers who do not. True, the men in the Lexus got away, and small is the number of us who would be surprised to learn that one or all of them will end up in prison or dead before old age. But for now, the forces of life did not lose to the tireless forces of death. We have Officer Christopher Gregorio to thank for that slim victory. 
Awesome. Good work,maybe
I never really appreciated living in a city with a somewhat competent and rational-acting police force until I moved to PDX, where every cop is Denzel Washington in “Training Day”. Kudos to Officer Gregorio for keeping a cool head and kudos to Mudede for writing about it.
honestly, I would have been ok with the Police shooting the guy, seriously he tried to run over a police officer and didn’t give a fvck!
yeah he should of shot the douche bag that had no disregard for the officer what so ever.
Should Police Officers draw their service weapons on someone suspected of nothing other than acting creepy in a creepy place? The auto could be considered as a deadly weapon, but was the show of force really necessary and the best use of policing skills?
I was not there, and do not know the scene or what led up to it…but there are certain freedoms that citizens are entitled to. Being shot for running scared may happen, it does not make it right. Probably why the Officer held his fire and engaged in radio pursuit.
@5
Yes, officers should draw their weapons when people act creepy in an area known for crime. Being prepared and understanding the context of the situation is how you avoid being killed. I am also unclear how the officer violated any of the suspects rights, as you infer he did. However, I definitely concur with Charles that this officer should be commended for holding his fire despite the fact firing would have been, in some sense, justified.
Load, Aim, Fire! Cops have jobs to do. These dudes were obviously felons, a bullet in the car would have been a great wake up call.