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ByAstridGalvanand Tami Abdollah The Associated Press TUCSON, ARIZ. Dramatic dash-cam videos of an ar- rest in Arizona put the pub- lic in the driver's seat as an officer plows his cruiser into a rifle-toting robbery suspect at high speed. Polic- ing experts on Wednesday called the officer's tactics unconventional and even outrageous, but justified, given the circumstances. The images police re- leased Tuesday provoked in- tense responses among tens of thousands of people after they were posted on the In- ternet, providing a new an- gle to the national debate over policing. Some expressed outrage, accusing the officer of using deadly force. Others said he deserves a medal for man- aging to quickly and safely end a standoff with a dan- gerous gunman. Prosecutors cleared Ma- rana Police Officer Michael Rapiejko of any wrongdoing after he swerved around an- other officer who had been cautiously tailing the rob- bery suspect, then acceler- ated and rammed into the man's back on Feb. 19. The videos show Mario Valencia, 36, cart-wheeling through the air in the instant before the cruiser breaks through a retaining wall, shattering its windshield. Rapiejko, 34, and other offi- cers then jump out from all over, guns drawn, to make sure Valencia stays down. The maneuver abruptly resolved what police called a violent crime spree by Valencia, who allegedly threatened officers with a stolen hunting rifle and fired a shot moments be- fore the crash. Valencia al- legedly stole the .30-.30 ri- fle from a Wal-Mart after police said he tried to set a church on fire, invaded a home and stole a car. Experts in police training and tactics say the video il- lustrates the split-second de- cisions officers must make in life-or-death situations, and appeared to be completely justified, considering that an erratic suspect was firing a long-range weapon. Still, they call it anything but a textbook maneuver — and one that police chiefs everywhere should tell their officers not to repeat. "It is an outrageous video without a doubt, and any- body watching that is going to have that reaction," said Jim Bueermann, a former police chief who leads the Police Foundation, a non- profit dedicated to improv- ing policing. "The problem," Bueer- mann said, "is that it is not as simple as a police officer doing a crazy thing. It is an excellent example of how difficult policing can be." Valencia survived the crash, apparently without suffering serious injury. So did the officer, who re- turned to regular duty af- ter a standard three-day leave and was cleared by the Pima County Attorney's of- fice. Rapiejko joined the Marana department last year after working as an officer in Tucson and New York. The 34-year-old has about 10 years of polic- ing experience and doesn't have any disciplinary or use of force history in Marana, Sgt. Chris Warren said. Warren said that while using the cruiser was not a conventional method, Ra- piejko had seconds to react to a potentially deadly situa- tion as Valencia approached the parking lot of a business. "It's not something you see every day, definitely, but the officer was thinking outside the box and made a good tactical decision," Warren said. Valencia now faces sev- eral felony charges, includ- ing assault on an officer. His defense attorney, Michelle Cohen Metzger, said police used excessive force and the officer was not justified in his actions. "In watching the video, I think it was clear that it was not the appropriate ac- tion and that my client was not threatening to anybody except for himself," she said. Using a car as a weapon is considered an "uncon- ventional tactic" and is not part of any standard train- ing, said Lou Salseda, a re- tired sergeant with the Los Angeles Police. ARIZONA Offi ce r us es ' 3, 000 -p ou nd bu ll et ' to a pp re hen d su sp ec t THEASSOCIATEDPRESS A frame grab from a dash cam video shows a police vehicle hitting Mario Valencia in Marana, Arizona. The Associated Press SEATTLE For some com- panies, Seattle'S new $15 minimum wage law isn't doing enough to help workers. The CEO of Gravity Payments, a Seattle-based company that processes credit-card payments, told his employees this week that he was cutting his roughly $1 million salary and using company profits so they would each earn a base salary of $70,000, to be phased in over three years. Dan Price's announce- ment surprised everyone at a company meeting, Seattle television station KING reported. He says his pay cut is worth it to make the company's more than 100 employees happy and to build loyalty. "I think this is just what everyone deserves," Price told workers. Earlier this month, Se- attle's minimum wage law went into effect, which will eventually raise base hourly pay to $15. It's phased in more quickly for big companies than small ones: Large busi- nesses and national chains had to raise their mini- mum wage to at least $11 an hour when the law took effect April 1, while smaller businesses now must pay at least $10. Washington state al- ready has the nation's highest minimum wage at $9.47 an hour. People in the Seattle area rallied Wednesday for wage increases as part of na- tional protests. Drivers for Uber and Lyft — the app- based car-hailing services — planned to gather in the Pioneer Square neighbor- hood, while airport work- ers were expected to rally at Seattle-Tacoma Interna- tional Airport. WASHINGTON CEO to cut his pay so each worker earns $70,000 The Associated Press TAMPA, FLA. If not for the loud parties, the owner of a $2 million mansion on Florida'S Gulf Coast might have continued operating a training school for strip- pers next door to an exclu- sive gated community. The Tampa Tribune re- ported that the all-night, liquor-fueled celebrations, complete with booming stereos and screaming women, drew complaints from neighbors. The mansion's owner and manager were hit with code violations. Sean Grey, a manager at the mansion- for-rent, was also accused by the sheriff's office of vi- olating the county's noise ordinance, a misdemeanor. On Monday, a circuit judge dismissed the charge. On Thursday, represen- tatives from Code Enforce- ment and the sheriff's of- fice will meet with County Commissioner Kevin Beck- ner to discuss whether fur- ther action is necessary. FLORIDA School for strippers might have kept going, if not for noise Ifyou'relivingwithA-Fib, this seminar will be music to your ears. 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