I agree that the chase should have been ended much sooner, best case scenario on the one way street. However, I'm not second guessing the officers. They all did the same thing and I'm sure were following their policy regarding pursuits.
Their policy & procedure is the problem. This guy stole a vehicle, felony #1, then attempted to escape police in a vehicle(deadly weapon) in a reckless manner with no regard for the health and safety of others, felony #2. This is a violent felony and should be handled as such. Spineless administrators who have never worked as a police officer or been the victim of violent crime make these policies. They do so with as much or more regard for being sued and the safety of the criminal as for the safety of innocent civilians.
I was in a similiar situation on May 28th. A subject in my town stole a Dodge Ram truck. I pursued him across state lines. He flew through heavy traffic and narrowly missed striking other cars. He wrecked into a hillside at an intersection but did not disable or get the truck stuck. I pulled in front of his truck to stop him from driving away then exited my cruiser. A deputy pulled up behind his truck to block his escape in reverse. The guy rammed the deputies car then accelerated toward me while I was standing between the cruisers. I jumped out of the way and fired several rounds into the cab of the truck. Somehow, the truck stopped almost all of the .45 rounds and he was only struck once in the leg. Fortunately, everyone went home safely and even the criminal had only minor injuries.
The point is, this guy very easily could have killed someone had I just gotten out of the way like what happened in the Hollywood chase on the one-way street. IMO, the dirtbags in both cases had already made it clear that they had no regard for the lives of others. End these chases as quickly and with as much force as necessary bc the lives of 10 of these criminals is not worth the life of either the woman or her child in the car that he attempted to carjack. I see lethal force as an absolute last resort. However, when it is justified I see it as the fastest and most effective way to protect the lives of officers and civilians.
olice::roadkill:
