Minivan Shooting Is Police Brutality? Oriana Ferrell Claims Child Abuse By Cops

Is the minivan shooting video an instance of police brutality? The lawyer for the mother, Oriana Ferrell, is claiming child abuse charges should belong to the cops, not Mrs. Ferrell.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, Oriana Ferrell is defending her actions before the minivan shooting.

Police initially pulled Mrs. Ferrell over for a simple speeding ticket, but began to follow her because she argued with the officer, didn’t sign the ticket, and wasn’t immediately heading for the courthouse to either pay the fine or contest the citation. So, the same police officer named Tony DeTavis pulled her over again, claiming she was attempting to evade him, and that’s when things went south.

The police officer tried to physically remove her from the vehicle. Although Oriana initially complied, she was very upset and when she tried to get away, two of her five children rushed to her defense. As the family tries to get away, Tony DeTavis tasers the boy and then bashes the window in with his nightstick. As they pulled away, that’s when the minivan shooting took place, with another cop named Elias Montoya opening fire at the backside of a vehicle filled with children.

Although Oriana Ferrell took off at high speed, she turned herself in when back in the safety of the public eye (or perhaps the police simply caught up to her at the hotel; reports are not very clear on this issue). Ms. Ferrell was charged with five counts of abuse of a child, aggravated fleeing an officer, resisting an officer, reckless driving and possession of drug paraphernalia. Even her 14-year-old son was arrested on battery charges against the cops.

Oriana Ferrell’s lawyer Alan Maestas told Judge Jeff McElroy the minivan shooting was completely unjustified:

“There was no reason at all to chase her down. She was flat-out scared that something was going to happen to her children. We ought to talk about the stupidity and recklessness of shooting at a car that has five children in it. If someone ought to be charged with child abuse, it ought to be the New Mexico State Police.”

Tony DeTavis and Elias Montoya are both defending their actions. Montoya says he committed the minivan shooting because he intended to fire his weapon “at the left rear tire in an attempt to immobilize the vehicle.” DeTavis defends himself by saying they “later bought the entire family McDonald’s during the booking process.”

Eighth Judicial District Attorney Donald Gallegos is taking the side of the police officers in the minivan shooting incident and will not pursue criminal charges against the cops. Instead, he blames the mother, claiming Farrell “wouldn’t do the simple act of just signing a ticket.” But New Mexico State Police Chief Pete Kassetas said his department will conduct a “full and thorough review” of the minivan shooting, and he has specific “concerns relating to the conduct of the officer who discharged his firearm.”

What do you think about the minivan shooting video? Is the mother Oriana Ferrell guilty and responsible for all the following actions by the cops, or should the police officers be charged instead with child abuse and police brutality?