Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode: PEARL-WEARING BRAT SPEEDS HIS $133K MERCEDES OVER DOWN OFFICER
Date: November 7, 2025
Host: Nancy Grace
Notable Guests: Dave Mack (crime reporter), Alexis Tereschuk (crime reporter), Ryan Brown (criminal defense attorney), Robin Dreek (behavior expert and former FBI agent), Dr. Kendall Crowns (chief medical examiner), Dr. Angela Arnold (psychiatrist)

Overview

This episode centers on the shocking criminal case of Dalton Janicek, a 21-year-old from Pennsylvania, who, while driving his $133,000 Mercedes G-Wagon, intentionally mowed down a police officer—then ran over him multiple times—before leading police on a chaotic spree of violence. Nancy Grace and her panel dissect the details of Janicek’s privileged background and unravel the legal, medical, and psychological perspectives of the crime, raising questions about accountability for the wealthy and the nature of evil.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Crime: Mowing Down a Police Officer

• Initial Incident:

  • [14:00] Janicek is spotted at Doubletree Guest Suites. Officers try to stop his G-Wagon; he uses the vehicle as a battering ram.
  • An officer exits his patrol car, orders Janicek to stop. Janicek accelerates toward the officer; the officer fires his weapon, grazing Janicek’s head.
  • The officer is knocked to the ground, bleeding, and attempts to apply a tourniquet to his own severely wounded leg.
  • [18:17] Dave Mack: “He feels like he’s gonna die. And here goes this idiot again, driving over him three times. Not once, not twice. Three times… The injured officer on the ground, putting a tourniquet on his wounded leg, Janicek circles the parking lot and heads back to hit him again and again and again.”

• Video Evidence:

  • Multiple witnesses, including those filming from the hotel, capture the attack and subsequent attempts to run over the downed officer.
  • [20:28] Panel confirms: Officer was run over three more times after the initial strike.

• Aftermath & Escape:

  • Janicek flees the scene, ramming another police cruiser head-on, injuring a second officer.
  • Officers issue an APB; Janicek is eventually apprehended.

2. Background of the Accused

• Privileged Upbringing:
  • [03:50] Dave Mack: “He has been given every possible financial advantage in life… private schools, exclusive rowing teams, expensive cars.”
• Family Influence:
  • Father is a senior partner in a massive law firm (60+ offices), specializing in liability law.
  • The panel draws connections between a life of privilege and perceived lack of consequences.
  • [04:28] Nancy Grace: “This little monster did not just happen overnight. This took a good 20 plus years of careful breeding to make him what he is today.”

3. Nature of the Charges and Prior Behavior

• Violent Threats and Escalation:
  • [12:14] Alexis Tereschuk: “Janicek had threatened to blow up the police station. So they were on alert about him as well.”
  • Multiple previous police interactions: speeding, changing plates, driving without license or insurance.
  • [42:05] Police report Janicek screamed “I will kill you!” while being arrested; had also made prior bomb threats.
• Criminal Charges:
  • Since 2023, at least 11 driving-related and violent charges.
  • Bail denied (“You are not getting out on any amount of money.”)

4. Medical and Survival Details

• Gruesome Injury Explanation:
  • [23:54] Dr. Kendall Crowns: “If this artery gets torn, you can bleed out in a manner of minutes. It often happens in compound fractures of the femur that can occur when you get hit by a car.”
  • [26:35] “Three to five, maybe at most ten minutes, before you would have bled to death.”
• Tourniquet Use & Consequences:
  • Self-applied tourniquet likely saved officer’s life—risk, however, of permanent limb damage or amputation.

5. Psychological and Behavioral Perspectives

• Impulse Control & Sociopathy:

  • [15:34] Robin Dreek: “This is an individual clearly without guardrails... zero empathy for any of the actions that he plays out. His emotional intelligence is pretty much zero.”
  • Nancy challenges the idea that Janicek is a "kid," pressing the issue of responsibility.
  • [37:32] Dr. Angela Arnold: “He is 21 years old. He should know right from wrong... He has never had a consequence for any of his actions.”
  • Discussion on sociopathy: lack of conscience, inability to distinguish right from wrong.

• Comparisons to Other Cases:

  • Nancy draws parallels to the case of Fraser Bohm, another wealthy youth allegedly responsible for fatalities due to reckless driving.

6. Legal Defenses and Accountability

• Intentional vs. Reckless:

  • [33:29] Nancy Grace: “This is not negligence. This is an intentional act times three.”
  • Defense (via Ryan Brown) hints at possible mental incapacity or "insanity" defense using the M'Naghten Rule.
  • Nancy quickly shoots this down, emphasizing the consciousness of guilt shown by fleeing, calculated actions.

• Privilege & Justice:

  • Host and guests repeatedly highlight anxieties over special treatment for wealthy defendants. Concerns about “sweetheart plea deals” and historical cases where justice has not been served.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [01:35] Nancy Grace (Opening):

  "A pearl wearing brat speeds his $133,000 Mercedes right over an officer down. I don't mean he mowed the officer down. He mowed over the officer while the officer was already down defenseless on the ground."

• [14:30] Nancy Grace to Robin Dreek:

  “What personality does this? When an officer has pulled me over before, I say, yes, ma'am, yes, sir, and I shut my pie hole...arguing with the cop, much less running the cop over while the cop is down.”

• [18:17] Dave Mack:

  “He feels like he’s gonna die…driving over him three times. Not once, not twice. Three times.”

• [20:28] Alexis Tereschuk:

  “He loops around this parking lot, he comes back, this officer is on the ground…he is trying to stop the bleeding…this guy runs him over 1, 2, 3 times and then flees.”

• [26:35] Dr. Kendall Crowns:

  "Possibly at the short end three to five, maybe at most 10 (minutes)… It's a very severe injury."

• [37:32] Dr. Angela Arnold:

  "He is 21 years old. He should know right from wrong... He has never had a consequence for any of his actions."

• [41:38] Robin Dreek:

  "This is what evil incarnate looks like…he left the scene where he mowed down an officer, he was shot at, grazed…and then…turn around, go back and finish the job. That is someone extremely broken."

• [44:24] Alexis Tereschuk:

  “The judge denied that. He said, absolutely not. You are not getting out on any amount of money. No money. He has to stay in jail for now.”

• [42:05] Anonymous Narrator:

  "Jack, the 21 year old screaming at police 'I will kill you' is taken to the hospital…"

Important Timestamps and Segments

• 01:35 — Nancy opens with a vivid description of the case.
• 03:50–09:04 — Background on suspect’s privileged upbringing and family.
• 14:00–18:17 — Blow-by-blow account of the attack and video evidence.
• 23:54–30:47 — Medical discussion on the officer’s injuries and survival.
• 31:24–35:51 — Details of aftermath, police pursuit, and failed escape.
• 37:32–41:38 — Psychological evaluation: No remorse, possible sociopathy, societal implications.
• 42:05–44:24 — Breakdown of the suspect's prior record and denied bail.
• 45:13–46:50 — Legal strategies: Consideration of insanity defense, its likelihood of failure.

Tone and Style

Throughout, Nancy Grace maintains her hallmark intensity and fierce advocacy for victims and law enforcement. Panelists are asked hard questions—often challenged—and the tone is direct, skeptical of defense narratives and privilege. The conversation moves rapidly, but is methodically kept on track by Nancy, who insists that privilege and wealth must not shield anyone from consequences.

Conclusion

Nancy Grace and her panel present a thorough and impassioned discussion of Dalton Janicek’s egregious attacks on police officers, the dangers of unchecked privilege, and the mechanisms of justice. The episode leaves listeners with stark reminders:

• Of the harrowing dangers law enforcement officers face.
• Of the failures that can arise when privilege enables recklessness.
• Of the critical need for accountability—regardless of background.

The show ends with an appeal for witnesses, honoring the affected officers, and a call for community vigilance and involvement.

If you have information related to this case, contact Whit Pain PD at 610-279-9033.