Minivan Stop Leads To High Speed Chase, Shots Fired For Mom, Kids [Video]

A routine traffic violation resulted in a minivan being stopped by police, but turned into a high speed chase and shots being fired at the vehicle driven by a mom with her five children inside.

The incident was captured on a police dashboard cam and is making the rounds on cable news and the internet.

According to police, Oriana Ferrell was pulled over by a New Mexico Highway Patrol officer for going 71 mph in a 55 mph zone.

Ferrell pulled over as instructed, but when the officer went to talk to her she began an argument. The officer went back to his patrol car and Ferrell took off.

Police quickly followed her and pulled her over a second time. The officer demanded she get out of the car and when she refused he attempted to get her out forcibly, as recorded by the dash cam.

The officer, who is still trying to get Ferrell to leave the minivan, is heard telling her:

“Look, I’m going to ask you one more time to get out of the vehicle and then I’m going to pull you out, OK?” the police officer said. “You’re already facing evading charges. You ran away from me.”

“Sir, I pulled back over, I didn’t run away,” the stopped minivan driver is heard replying. “You see my children. I’m not doing anything wrong. I’m just trying to take them to the Rio Grande.”

Finally Ferrell gets out to talk to the officer and she is asked to face the stopped minivan, she then attempts to get back in the vehicle.

The woman’s son gets out of the minivan and confronts the officer who takes out his taser, only then the boy gets back in the car.

At that point back-up arrives at the place where the minivan is stopped. The family is locked in the car and one of the officers takes out his baton and starts slamming the glass.

Meanwhile, the children in the car, ranging in age from 6 to 18-years-old, are heard screaming in horror at what they see.

Ferrell then takes off again as officers begin a high-speed chase that lasted 10-minutes and ended at a hotel, where Ferrell and her 14-year-old son were both arrested.

The images shown on the dash cam have led the New Mexico State Police to open an investigation into the actions of all the officers involved, who at this point have not been removed from duty.

According to The Taos News, the minivan driver, Oriana Ferrell faces five counts of abuse of a child, aggravated fleeing an officer, resisting an officer, reckless driving, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The minivan stopped by police officers was allegedly carrying two marijuana pipes, according to the online publication.

Do you think the officers should have fired a the minivan during the traffic stop?