Wise decision. Why risk the entire city being burned down?
It’s gotten to the point that officers are either afraid to use any kind of force or the departments won’t allow it for fear of protests, prosecution and public opinion. Their reasoning seems to be “better to destroy property that can be replaced rather than maim or kill and face liability lawsuits”. It’s no longer the “one riot, one ranger” type of law enforcement. The animals are running the zoo.
Looking at the first blocking attempt and the positions of the vehicles, I don’t think I would have risked shooting at the suspect for fear of crossfire. At the very least, I think a few rounds to the engine compartment may have stopped the vehicle, but even risking that could make the other officers think the suspect was shooting back and everybody else join in. It would have to be coordinated and I don’t think they had time for that.
Looking at the first blocking attempt and the positions of the vehicles, I don’t think I would have risked shooting at the suspect for fear of crossfire. At the very least, I think a few rounds to the engine compartment may have stopped the vehicle, but even risking that could make the other officers think the suspect was shooting back and everybody else join in. It would have to be coordinated and I don’t think they had time for that.
^^^^^ Best Statement,
So it’s better for innocent folks just going about their business to take the financial hit when the sombitch hits them than it is to use the vehicles paid for by taxpayers to be used in the business of catching bad guys? Maybe I’m missing something. It seems like to me that severe vehicle damage was the only way the chase would end. Immobilizing the vehicle while it was boxed in would’ve been less severe than letting him take out unsuspecting motorists at wide open throttle. I think any expenses incurred by the folks that got hit should be picked up by the police department. I’m sure cops are scared to get aggressive these days but hey I will support them usually. However, I’ll also call em out when they drop the ball. They dropped the ball here! I’m not yelling at you @Snattlerake You just stirred me up mentioning the policy type thingy. I’m not a fan of policy. Lol
Nor am I.
Prater will charge the officers.
Look at it this way, there's no rioting.
At the academy they teach to NOT shoot at a moving vehicle. Their stated reasoning is that if you do, you risk hitting someone else with your bullets (not good) and if you did hit the vehicle or driver you have just created an uncontrollable two thousand pound battering ram. (worse)
I’ve been a member of four different departments and they all had policies against shooting at moving vehicles. The only times I’ve ever seen LE Fire at a moving was the former Canadian County Sheriff with a shotgun on I-40 and the more recent pursuit when the OHP Trooper was shooting through his own windshield during the chase with the murder suspect. Both of those were on the news.
There was another incident involving Spencer PD where OCPD chased a suspect from NE 63rd southbound on Midwest Blvd. Two SPD officers had set up a roadblock just north of the bridge and the driver attempted to run over one of the officers. The other officer shot the suspect in the head with an AR15 thinking that the suspect had run over his fellow officer. The suspect vehicle ended up in the river. When they did the recovery the suspect had two bullet holes in his head about an inch apart. I’m sure there are more out there.
And there was a possibility that the suspect in this case was unarmed. The police avoided a cataclysm.
