VIDEO RELEASED OF DRIVER RAMMING ECPD SERGEANT, OFFICERS FATALLY SHOOTING DRIVER
Suicidal suspect had doused self in gasoline before intentionally ramming officer, ECPD reports
By Miriam Raftery
Photo, left: Two officers train guns on driver after Sergeant Maxwell was struck.
January 11, 2025 (El Cajon) – El Cajon Police Department has released surveillance and body cam video from the officer-involved shooting outside ECPD headquarters on December 11 during preparations for a retirement ceremony. (Warning: graphic content.)
The video shows a Toyota Tundra SUV driven by Benjamin Grube, 24, a nonbinary person earlier identified as Andrea Grube, park and later drive onto a sidewalk and ram Sergeant Kevin Maxwell as he tried to run from the oncoming vehicle. He was thrown into the air before the vehicle struck a bush. The injured sergeant managed to grab his service revolver while still on his knees, ordering Grube to exit the vehicle.
A lieutenant nearby called for backup. Officer Evan Drescher arrived on the scene, shouting “Don’t move!” But Grube instead pulled forward, trying to run over Maxwell a second time even as both officers had guns trained on her.
Photo, right: Vehicle driven by Benjamin Grube strikes Sergeant Kevin Maxwell, who was thrown into the air before rising to his knees, gun drawn, ordering suspect to exit the vehicle.
Both Maxwell and Drescher fired their weapons, Maxwell through the windshield and Drescher through the driver’s side window. Maxwell jumps out of the path of the oncoming vehicle. Several shots can be heard on the audio from body cam footage (the earlier surveillance footage has no audio).
Officers pulled Grube from the vehicle and rendered medical aid, as did paramedics. Grube was transported to a hospital, where the suspect was pronounced dead.
“Grube was found to be soaked in gasoline and three gas cans were found in the truck,” captions on the video state. “During the follow-up investigation, Grube was found to have suicidal ideations and was anti-law enforcement.”
Sergeant Maxwell was transported to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries including a concussion, and was later released. No other officers or civilians were injured.
San Diego Police is conducting an investigation, as is customary for officer-involved shootings involving other local police agencies. The District Attorney’s office will review results of that investigation. El Cajon Police is also conducting an administrative review into the officers’ use of force involving discharge of their service guns.