VIDEO: Officer Uses Taser While Being Stabbed, Taser Fails

East Peoria, IL – Police bodycam and dashcam video showed a brutal knife attack on an East Peoria police officer during a traffic stop in February (video below).

HOI obtained the police videos of the Feb. 2 incident via a Freedom of Information Act request.

The videos showed the encounter began when East Peoria Police Officer Jeffrey Bieber conducted a traffic stop on a white Ford pickup truck by a CVS in East Peoria in the early morning hours.

Officer Bieber observed that the driver – identified as Joshua Crites – appeared to have injuries to, and was bleeding from, his hands.

He asked Crites if he wanted medical attention and the driver said he did, HOI reported.

So Officer Bieber requested that the dispatcher send medics to his location.

The ambulance that responded ended up being the one that transported Officer Bieber to the hospital bleeding after the brutal attack.

Dashcam video showed that Officer Bieber instructed Crites to walk over to his vehicle and put his hands on the hood.

At first, Crites appeared to comply, but then he reached into his pocket and came out with a knife.

The videos showed he attacked Officer Bieber and stabbed him repeatedly.

Officer Bieber first tried to subdue Crites using a Taser but he was unsuccessful and was taken to the ground by the driver, HOI reported.

The video showed that he fought with Crites, who continued to stab him, and then drew his service weapon.

They had been struggling for 35 seconds when Officer Bieber opened fire on Crites, HOI reported.

The video showed that Officer Bieber fired his gun four times in 17 seconds, and then radioed dispatch for help, telling them he had been seriously wounded.

The officer sustained 10 stab wounds.

“That ended up being my ambulance a few minutes later,” Officer Bieber told HOI.

His attack died as a result of his gunshot wounds.

Ten months later, the officer said he was healing well but that watching the video was difficult, HOI reported.

“It kind of gave me some feelings watching it, and it just made me teary-eyed a little bit,” Officer Bieber said. “While I’m watching it, I just don’t understand how I’m here watching it because I should be dead.”

The officer returned to work at the start of June and was honored with a proclamation by the East Peoria City Council, HOI reported.

Watch the incident unfold in the video below. WARNING – Graphic Content: