Caught on Video: Man High on Crack Punches Officer, Steals Police Car and Crashes in High-Speed Chase

A robbery suspect wants to know if he "made the news."

Yes. After authorities released video footage of 38-year-old Arthur Lee Thompson punching a police officer, stealing his car and then crashing in into the side of a truck, Thompson has made headlines.

The conflict happened in May, but now the coordinating video has just been released.

The incident started when a police officer spotted Thompson's green Jeep, and pulled over the car to approach Thompson about allegedly trying to steal a computer from Walmart. The suspect did not cooperate. He made several jabs at the police officer. Police eventually struck him twice with a taser gun, but Thompson was able to keep on fighting long enough to steal the officer's police car.

Thompson's getaway, however, was short-lived. He smashed the car into the side of a landscaping truck as the truck was trying to make a left turn. Police then took the suspect into custody, but the violence didn't end with his arrest, according to a report from The Daily Mail. While Thompson was in the hospital he allegedly spit at police officers and shouted 'you are all racist.'

The Mail reports that later on, Thompson made derogatory comments about each officer in his booking area and boasted about his earlier fight, saying 'I need to retire [my fists].'

This wasn't the first time South Carolina police have had trouble with Thompson. They told Live5News.com that he has a long list of offenses reaching back to 1992 which include incidents of robbery, resisting arrest and assaulting cops (sound familiar?).

An incident report obtained by Live5News.com, a Charleston-based news agency, said Thompson admitted to smoking crack that morning.

Thompson and police go in and out of the frame in this video of the fight, chase and crash at 2:24.

(h/t: Daily Mail)