Amen Brother. Those that don't know, you can't teach.

 

I've got no axe to grind with the police. I just cringe when I see chases on TV. Do a quick google search on "police chase killed" and you'll see some interesting results. Not only do a lot of innocent bystanders get killed or maimed, but so do police officers. You guys wouldn't shoot at someone for driving with an expired tag, but it's okay to chase them across the county.. a car can be as much of a weapon as a bullet and a lot harder to control. Police aren't perfect, but they are held to a higher standard because they're given the job of protecting the public. Glad to hear there are some pursuit rules where you work, because some places seem to be wide open.

It would seem there would be some technology that would allow police to remotely disable a vehicle. A stun gun for cars, so to speak. Point and click and the car is limited to 10mph.

 

Jamie, why don't you pick a busy night, like a Friday or Saturday night with a full moon and go down and do a Ride-A-Long with your local agency? Maybe you will learn a few things about Law Enforcement and how it all works.

 

I know a thing or two about law enforcement. Both My Father and Mother-in-law are LEO's. As are some of my friends. I do not believe in High Speed Chases, to many innocent people are killed and the aprehension of one Felon does not justify the loss of one innocent life. The end does not justify the means, ever!. Aint seen a car yet that could out run a Motorola anyway. Under what circumstances would you LEO's say that the loss of one innocent bystanders life would make a High Speed Chase justifiable? I have the utmost respect for LEO's, but I feel there are few if ANY reasons for High Speed Pursuit. One life lost is one to many!

 

This is why police chases should never happen.

4 yrs. ago a man in his thirties walked into a local pharmacy to pick up medicine for his young child. The medicine cost more money than he had. The clerk would not let him pay with what money he had and give him the medicine. He grabs the medicine and runs out of the drugstore, gets in his car and takes off for home. It just so happens that a patrol car was nearby when they got the call. To make a long story short the guy runs and a high speed chase ensues through this town. Speeds got up to 90 mph, they were coming up on an intersection when the guy blows through the intersection and slams into the side of a car entering the intersection. The guy that was driving was DOA along with the woman and 6 yr. old little girl in the car with her. That was my best friends mother and his sisters little girl. After the accident they ran the guys plates and he had never even had a speeding ticket. They asked his wife why she thought he had ran and she simply stated "My little girl needed her medicine"! The medicine cost something like $75.00 and was not a narcotic. A man, woman and little girl lost their lives because of some over zealous LEO decided that today was a good day for a chase. That was his actual comment when asked! It was so needless, all they had to do was look up the guys address at the pharmacy and simply go to his house. I don't care what justification any of you can come up with, high speed chases do nothing but leave a trail of destroyed property and lives shattered![:@]

 

TM you seem to be very narrow minded, and it appears you walk through life with blinders on by the comments you made. The last thing a LEO wants to do is hurt another human being. But you seem to want to place all the blame on a LEO and thats pretty pathetic. There are many justifiable reasons to pursuit a m/v Robbery, Armed Robbery, Murder, Burglary, Kidnapping just to name a few. I certainly hope you or your family member is never a victim of any of the crimes I mentioned. Because if they ever are I'm sure you would want the LEO's on scene to pursuit the fleeing vehicle then would'nt you?!?!?!?!? Or would you rather just have the LEO on scene stand around and watch the car get further and further away? Thinks about it?!

 

All kinds of stories.....Readers Digest version of another one! A few years ago suspects of a minor theft blew by an Officer heading in the oppsite direction, Officer did not take up chase because of congestion. 2 miles down the road the suspects slammed in a car killing one and injuring several more.....WHO got sued yepper...the cop and the department for not attmepting to apprehend a fleeing criminal! Can't have both ways......! DAMN.....The person breaking the law causes all these problems...All the guy had to do was stop...or not commit the crime in the first place!.....but narrow minded, bleeding heart liberals find it easier to blame the cops....sorry...off my soap box now! Cabin fever is getting to us all.....please bring on spring!

 

You know it's a funny thing if you watch these pursuits when the crook's car slows down the cops slow down, when the crook stops the pursuit stops. I'm no rocket scientist, but I'm guessing if he pulls over there won't be any reason to pursue.


Heres some inside LEO info for ya. Once the blue lights come on and they start running just because you turn the lights off and cancel the chase doesn't mean the dirtbag slows down and obeys all traffic laws.
You people seem to think the cops control these pursuits and that the cops are pushing these guys along. Cops can only react to a situation not escalate.
You need to seriousely think about where you place the blame for these chases. I think we can all agree that minor offenses usually do not justify a "High Speed" pursuit, but to call cops fools because they pursue a vehicle in accordance with thier department policy is stupid.


And for the guy who thinks there is absolutely no reason for any pursuit. If the kidnapper had your daughter you better believe your tune would change.

 

Narrow minded is a new one for me. I guess if I feel that you should not be chasing someone down my neighborhood because they stole a $75.00 bottle of medicine, well then, yes, I guess I am narrow minded when it comes to this topic! You know your response has really ticked me off, and I'm not sure that I can respond to you rash-fully! You don't know me well enough to call me Pathetic and it shows me what kinda of attitude that you may have! But yeah, when an LEO is asked "why did you chase him over some stolen medicine"? and his answer is "Because it was a good day for a chase"! This after 3 people lost their lives is not only insensitive its just plain wrong! Is there ever a circumstance that a high speed chase is justified? I don't know, LEO's have to make that decision and live with the aftermath! Its the LEO that has to look the innocent victims in the face and explain to them why they decided to go on a high speed chase because the guy ran a stop sign, or blew through a red light etc. Not to mention the damages that the city and county will pay for from all the property that was destroyed. But hey, you caught the guy, that will teach him not to run a stop sign. He gets a fine and spends a few days in jail and the city or county is left paying some poor sap thousands of dollars because the runner or police officer side swipes his $45,000.00 Lexus. Sounds like a good deal to me. I know what your thinking. The guy should have just stopped, like the law requires and the chase would never happen. Well as an LEO you can't control the actions of other people and how they may react. LEO's are trained how to drive, thugs are not. They don't care, they don't care if someone gets killed while their being chased. I hate it when they win, but the LEO will always win in the end. If you don't get them this time you will eventually.

How do you know that I or one of my family members have never been a victim of a crime? I have and I still feel the same way about high speed chases! Just because I have my own opinions of high speed chases does not mean I have issues with LEO's, frankly its just the opposite, now my opinion of you may be different from this point on, not that you care! In my opinion and just my opinion, which the last time I looked, I have the right to, LEO's should not engage in a high speed chase unless its a LIFE or DEATH situation.

Let me tell you a little about this life that I have walked through with blinders on. I spent 13 yrs in the USAF flying C-141B's logging over 4000 hrs, fighting in two wars and been to places that you could only dream of and never want to be, at the same time. I have seen things that would make a billy goat puke and want to make you cry your eyes out. You have no right to judge me or anyone else for that matter. Just in case you didn't know, your paid with tax payer money and that comes from use folks that walk through life with blinders on!

 

You know this topic has came up on here several times and you guys are the very first LEO's to really defend this practice so forcefully. I have a tremendous amount of respect when it comes to our Law Enforcement Agencies. They are over worked and under paid and seldom appreciated. I would support them to no end, but when it comes to these high speed chases, I can't and won't. Call me a liberal bleeding SOB or whatever I really don't care. I have friends on here that are LEO's and friends here where I live that are LEO's. They seem to appreciate my opinion and not one of them have ever called me Pathetic, a liberal, (which people that know me, know that, that could be no farther from the truth) narrow minded or anything else.