Staff Reports
Antioch residents woke to a shocking story that should remind every American why we cannot afford to defund or second-guess the men and women who keep our streets safe. On February 20, 2026, officers responded to an armed robbery at a grocery store and confronted a suspect who then rammed his vehicle into a patrol car and drove off with an officer pulled into the moving getaway car, according to the Antioch Police Department.
Body camera and surveillance footage released later show the terror of that moment — a suspect smashing into a storefront, ignoring commands, and speeding away with an officer trapped against him while occupants of the community looked on in disbelief. The exchange recorded on the officer’s bodycam includes multiple warnings to the driver to stop before the officer fired a single shot that struck the suspect in the leg; the suspect then crashed into a parked car and attempted to flee on foot.
The police department identified the suspect as 26-year-old Davis Bahrami, and stressed the officer’s actions came after a physical struggle and repeated, explicit threats to intentionally crash the vehicle. Authorities say the suspect sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken into custody shortly after fleeing the crash site, while the officer suffered only minor injuries — a testament to training and restraint under life-or-death pressure.
Let’s be clear: this was not a “mistake” or an avoidable tragedy — it was the predictable result of criminals who think our cities’ soft-on-crime posture gives them license to terrorize neighborhoods. Yet even in the face of clear danger, the officer used measured force after issuing warnings and trying to de-escalate, exactly what citizens expect from disciplined law enforcement who value human life.
Of course, the predictable chorus will demand quick condemnations and politicized investigations while forgetting the facts on the ground and the safety of the public and officers alike. The Antioch Police Department has placed the involved officers on administrative leave while the investigation continues, which is standard procedure — but we should not rush to handcuff public safety with policy theater that emboldens criminals.
If America is going to remain a place where people can go to work, shop, and raise families without fear, elected officials must stop rewarding lawlessness with leniency and start supporting police who put their lives on the line for ordinary citizens. Stand with our officers, demand tougher consequences for violent offenders, and stop letting ideology cripple the very institutions that protect our freedom and prosperity.
