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Updated Saturday morning, July 12, 2025. Dramatic video obtained by Pittsburgh's Action News 4 shows the final seconds of a police pursuit that ended in a crash outside Lindenwood Golf Club in Washington County. The suspect, described by state troopers as wanted on an active aggravated assault warrant, was taken into custody after officers rammed the vehicle to prevent another escape attempt. No injuries were reported.
The footage, shot by Pete La Rose and shared with the station, captures the scene from the edge of the club's entrance on Galley Road. Officers are already surrounding a car, shouting for the driver to stop. The driver appears to hit a sign near the entrance, then turns and tries to drive away again. Almost immediately, a police cruiser strikes the suspect's vehicle. More cruisers close in, and the driver continues to bump against the nearly enclosed line of cruisers before officers finally take control.
The video gives a ground-level view that aerial footage often misses. In the first few seconds, the driver has nowhere to go, yet still tries to move. Each attempt is met by another cruiser. The sound of metal scraping and police shouting is constant. The camera stays on the cars until hands can be seen as officers move forward.
Aerial footage from Sky 4, Pittsburgh's only news helicopter, showed the result of the takedown. The suspect's car has clear damage on the side and front, and at least one police cruiser also has visible scrapes. The larger scene includes a major police presence at the golf course entrance, with troopers and township officers on the pavement near the car.
The aerial angle also helped show where the final crash occurred: directly at the entrance to the private club, not on the main roadway. That detail may matter, because a crash near the gate is easier to secure than one on open Route 19.
Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Rocco Gagliardi provided a short update on the sequence of events.
"A pursuit occurred on Route 19 involving a suspect with an active warrant for aggravated assault," Gagliardi said. "Troopers have the suspect in custody. The suspect is being charged with aggravated assault against a police officer, fleeing and eluding, and suspected DUI."
The statement did not say exactly where the pursuit started or how fast the vehicles were moving. It also did not say whether the original aggravated assault warrant involved the same incident as the new charge. The troopers' statement is the only official account released so far.
State police were assisted by officers from North Strabane and Peters Township. Those two departments have jurisdiction over the area around the golf club, so their involvement is consistent with the location of the final stop. No injuries were reported, which is noteworthy because of the force shown in the video.
It is also not clear from the statement whether the suspect was hurt during the takedown. State police said only that no injuries were reported.
The new charge of aggravated assault against a police officer is the most serious one listed. Under Pennsylvania law, the charge can apply when someone attempts to cause serious bodily injury, or causes bodily injury, to a police officer in the line of duty. It is a felony-level offense.
"Fleeing and eluding" refers to a driver refusing to stop after police have given a signal to stop. The severity can increase if the pursuit places the public at risk. The video shows the driver moving near a parking-lot entrance, but the police statement did not mention any involvement of other vehicles.
The DUI portion is not yet definitive. Police called it "suspected" DUI, which means charges could be refined once any blood or breath test results are processed. It is not unusual for the final list of charges to change after a court filing.
Most people have never seen a police chase end the way this one does. The footage is useful beyond the immediate public-interest because it shows a "boxed-in" takedown from the outside. The driver is given commands, attempts to leave, and then the cruisers physically stop the car.
For law enforcement, this kind of video is often used for training and for after-action reviews. It may also become a key piece of evidence if the case goes to trial, especially because police statements can be challenged in court. The visual record from a bystander is independent of the officers' own accounts.
What the video does not show is what happened before the driver reached the golf club entrance. The initial moments on Route 19, the traffic conditions, and the reason for the active warrant are all still under investigation. Officials have not released body-worn or dashboard camera footage, if any was available.
As of early Saturday, the suspect had not been publicly identified. State police said only that the driver was in custody. The next step will typically be a formal filing with a Washington County district judge, followed by a preliminary hearing. At that point, the suspect may be represented by a lawyer, and more details about the earlier warrant could become public.
Until then, the final image from Friday evening's chase is the one captured on Pete La Rose's phone: a car stopped, surrounded by cruisers, with officers still shouting. It is a rare clear record of a risky police maneuver that ended without serious injury.
This story may develop. Check Pittsburgh's Action News 4 for further updates.
