MILWAUKEE — Video obtained by TMJ4 shows a high-speed Milwaukee police chase that ended with a squad running over a man.
That man survived, and his civil lawsuit against the city of Milwaukee is scheduled to go to trial next month.
“He should have sent medical help or at least got out to help me,” Ravid Smith said. “That’s the number one thing—should have at least got out and tried to help.”
We want to warn you that the video shown in this story is graphic and difficult to watch.
The plaintiff’s attorney argues it clearly shows the officer should have seen the man lying on the ground right in front of him.
Watch: Man suing city after he was run over by MPD squad car:
“I want the world to see that, and y’all have my permission,” Smith said.
Each time Smith sees the dash camera video, he wonders how he is still alive.
“I’m blessed to still be here,” he said.
Smith was the passenger in a stolen van fleeing Milwaukee police in May 2020 when the driver ran a stop sign and crashed into a semi-truck.
The video shows Smith being thrown from the van at 30th Street and Fond du Lac Avenue. He was left motionless in the middle of the road.
The Milwaukee police officer driving the squad, Antonio Obregon, then came to a complete stop to let his partner out to pursue the driver.
At that time, Smith’s body is seen on dash camera video in front of the squad car.
That is when Officer Obregon drove forward, right over Smith, and proceeded to pursue the driver who fled on foot.
“All I remember is just waking up,” Smith said. “From May 14 to July 1, I didn’t know where I was at.”
The driver who attempted to flee was caught and arrested. Smith was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries to his brain and body.
“What made you want to file a lawsuit?” reporter Ben Jordan asked.
“Because it’s the right thing to do. They harmed me, and I want justice to be served.”
“Really, the entire right side of Mr. Smith’s body was run over,” said Smith’s attorney, William Sulton. “We want a declaration that what this officer did was 1,000 percent wrong.”
“People who watch this story are going to say Smith should have never been inside a stolen vehicle fleeing police. What is your response to that as it relates to this lawsuit?” Jordan asked.
“That’s 100 percent true,” Sulton replied. “People should not be stealing vehicles. I think we all agree on that, right? But what I want folks to understand is that the people who are there to protect and serve us are also required to do so in a safe way.”
An outside police agency was assigned to investigate the crash. The West Allis Police Department’s final report determined, “Officer Obregon wasn’t aware that he struck Smith.”
The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office also reviewed the incident. Its report says Officer Obregon told investigators, “He thought he was driving over accident debris.”
Smith’s lawsuit claims Officer Obregon “negligently operated his motor vehicle.” Sulton says they are ultimately seeking damages for pain and suffering.
“What I think the public should understand about this is this is a licensed, trained law enforcement officer,” Sulton said. “He’s a patrol officer, right? So high-speed pursuits are something that he’s done before, something that he’s trained on, right? The idea that he can’t see what we all can see on dash camera footage simply isn’t true.”
The city of Milwaukee’s response to the lawsuit denies any negligence on Officer Obregon’s part, arguing the incident and injuries stemmed from Smith’s negligence.
The city attorney’s office called for the case to be dismissed years ago. Instead, it is scheduled for a jury to decide in March. Smith believes the video speaks for itself.
“If you just take a quick look, no, you should already know—hold on, that’s a body,” he said.
The Milwaukee Police Department and the city attorney’s office declined interview requests, saying they cannot comment on pending litigation.
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