Excessive use of force by Police?

[Jonnin]

That's the problem with high speed pursuits - effective countermeasures to stop one once it starts are mighty scarce. About all an officer can do is basically sit back there at 120 mph until he or the other guy crashes or runs out of gas, unless somebody can get in position out ahead with a spike strip, or unless the law in that state and departmental policies permit the use of roadblocks.

 

I thought street legal cars could not exceed some certain speed (120? 130? I forget?) and that the police cars can do better by 10-20 mph?   Or is that ancient and bygone info?   Time was the police cars could outrun most anything on the road?

[nightrunner]

I thought street legal cars could not exceed some certain speed (120? 130? I forget?) and that the police cars can do better by 10-20 mph? Or is that ancient and bygone info? Time was the police cars could outrun most anything on the road?

Ha!

The new Corvette C7 Z06 tops out at over 200mph. No crown Vic can do that.

Some cars have a top speed governor but many do not. Bugatti does around 250mph.

The only thing I am aware of is the Japanese supersport bike (crotch rocket) manufacturers have a "Gentlemans agreement" to electronically limit their street bikes to 186mph.

But no, it's not hard to have a car that will outrun the cops car, however it's not as easy to outrun the radio ;)

[Spots]

I thought street legal cars could not exceed some certain speed (120? 130? I forget?) and that the police cars can do better by 10-20 mph? Or is that ancient and bygone info? Time was the police cars could outrun most anything on the road?

Never heard of that one. Back in the day the fastest cars in most of Appalachia were hot rodded moonshine cars. Most cops cars didn't stand a chance against those things. Not to mention the crazy men driving them.

[TN-popo]

That's the problem with high speed pursuits - effective countermeasures to stop one once it starts are mighty scarce. About all an officer can do is basically sit back there at 120 mph until he or the other guy crashes or runs out of gas, unless somebody can get in position out ahead with a spike strip, or unless the law in that state and departmental policies permit the use of roadblocks.  But then a spike strip or roadblock used against a 120 mph motorcycle can get the agency in a lot of hot water too because the motor rider is probably going to get killed.  Evading arrest in most states is a misdemeanor, as is reckless driving, and the use of deadly force is usually unlawful in the apprehension of a misdemeanor violator. Gunfire into the tires gives you a car out of control at 120 mph, endangering everybody else on the road and again invoking Catch 22 by being a form of deadly force since it throws the high speed vehicle out of control - not to mention being one of the most dangerous things a cop can ever do. High speed ramming is just as likely to get the officer killed as it is to stop the other guy, and again constitutes deadly force.

 

I was a highway patrol supervisor in another state and part of my job was managing these pursuits. They're a real problem for which there is no good solution and I hated the @#$%^things. Also, being the  cop involved in one is the most terrifying thing you can ever do - screaming down the road through intersections and past driveways at night, radically overdriving your headlights on an unfamiliar highway in an over mileage, beat-to-crap standard passenger automobile with a heavy duty alternator and a bunch of colored lights at 120 mph just ain't my idea of fun. Usually the biggest problem we had after one ended was getting the pucker marks out of the seat covers. :pleased:

 

Anyway, from the other side of the badge they're an eelray itchbay.

 

+1

And, since it's off of the other topic, I'll jump back in this thread.

In TN, "Evading" in or on a vehicle is a Felony.  On foot, it's a Misdemeanor.

 

I'm in a similar LE supervisory situation...and I terminate a lot of pursuits because they're just not worth it when weighed against general public safety.

 

In the last couple / few years, there have been only two pursuits that I can think of right now (middle of the night, suffering from insomnia) where I said to myself, "No matter what happens, we're getting this one."

 

1.  A simple traffic stop attempt and one of the occupants started firing a handgun, out the window, at my officer, while they decided to flee.  They were caught and are lucky to still be breathing.

2.  Armed Robbery, middle of the day at a Krystal, and the scroat had a 12ga.  He fled in a vehicle (description broadcasted) and I just happened to be right around the corner and saw it. 

     It ended in a wreck (he crashed into 11 vehicles that were all lined up at a local car dealership...oops).  :)

Funny thing, he was wanted for two Murders and two Aggravated Assaults in a neighboring jurisdiction...so I got a pat on the head for that one.

 

I always think to myself when deciding to terminate a pursuit, "If this goes bad, as tragic as the outcome may be, can I explain / justify it and still look at myself in the mirror."

If the answer is no, I end it.

Edited May 17, 2015 by TN-popo