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Supremes: Police Can Chase - and Pit to Kill
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If you decide to give the cops a run for it, know that the law is decidedly against you. In an 8-1 decision today, the Supreme Court gave police wide latitude in how they proceed when high-speed chases erupt - and left them with significantly more protection against lawsuits filed after chases.
The original court case came about in Georgia, where 19-year-old Victor Harris claimed that police pursued him too vigorously in a March 2001 chase. The defendant - today, 25 years old - hit speeds of more than 90 mph and crossed the yellow lines on dark, empty roads to avoid the police. When Coweta County officer Timothy Scott performed a PIT maneuver to stop him, Harris' car rolled down an embankment. Harris' injuries left him a quadraplegic.
The ruling is interesting to car fans for the in-car camera video used to rule on the case. Like a scene lifted from Spike TV, justices viewed video of the chase, which followed the chase through to the final crash. Unlike police in, say, Los Angeles, these Georgia cops were authorized to pursue potentially deadly force to prevent the driver from harming others - and the cameras captured it all.
Harris had been pulled over for driving 73 mph in a 55-mph zone when he was pulled over.
Justices Back Police in Chase Case - New York Times
Responses (22 total)
By R,noble | Posted: Oct 1st 2007, 01:20:16 PM
that stupid kid got what he deserved. the law is not a game and should not be treated with contempt. if you dont like the law work to get it changed. otherwise abide by it daily. the idots that would like to get away with breaking the law are hypocrites when the law is broken against them. uphold the law at every cost. even the cost of losing the life of an idiot. the bystanders do not deserve to live in a world where they can not be safe from morons. crush the criminal everytime and you will have less of them. on with the great work officers.
By G.Spears | Posted: May 7th 2007, 09:23:59 PM
The most pratical, sensible, and economic solution would be to build all vehicles where they would not run over 75 miles per hour, with the exception of police and emergency vehicles.
By Alex | Posted: May 7th 2007, 09:15:54 AM
Glad to hear that the courts are backing the police. We have to get the speeders off of the street.
Everyday you read about a teenage getting killed while speeding, This may save lives, I hope so.
By jp | Posted: May 7th 2007, 04:56:01 AM
It's about time. The courts have been siding with the crooks too long. We have become a nation of pansies. About time to take back our rights and punish the bad guys. If you are stupid you deserve what you get. Sorry kid, but you made the choice to get injured when you chose to try to outrun the cops. It's all about making decisions. Make better ones. If the bad guys know the possible consequences less of them will make those decisions. Right now they know they can get off most of the time so why comply?
By Marquis de la Bois | Posted: May 3rd 2007, 06:36:36 AM
L'Marquis du Bois being a good COMMUNISTmhas opinion humanitaires!any motor vehicle forr sake by law should be equipped with 'L'Bois'remote immobiser and door locker by remote wireless control,this will solve the problem,the police need to get in touch with his honore L'Marquis for to buy moteur shut and door shut immobiliser!.Invention de mon amis les Russes!.No more silly chases!!!!!!.
By Steve C. | Posted: May 2nd 2007, 08:11:40 AM
This wreckless PUKEHEAD had alot of unmitigated NERVE to take off after being pulled over, THEN gun it for several miles (barely clearing many innocent motorists that he passed out of control), get trapped in a parking lot (cornered by several units), RAM a police car, THEN re-enter the dangerous/wet 2-lane highway again and lead police on many MORE high speed chased miles (often going over 125 feet per second). Why did he run? Were the blazing sirens atop the black & white (obvious) police units foreign to him (i.e., did he get his license in the bottom of a Cracker Jack box, without ever reading a DMV handbook - especially the part about IMMEDIATELY pulling over)? Thankfully, this idiot was the one that was injured, and not some poor (innocent) motorist in the wrong place at the wrong time. Unfortunately, this scourge of the road is prevalent everywhere (especially here in Southern "Cauleeforneea", aka "nutsville USA"). These poster children for keeping abortion legal (which includes street racers) don't give a good G. D. about anybody but themselves, and when given a several seconds to make a critical decision, they usually make an extremely STUPID one...
By charlie. | Posted: May 2nd 2007, 01:27:26 AM
There all some good cop's but i would not want them to shoot me are any one else forty one times becouse they belive is bracelet was a gun.
By Alfafox5 | Posted: May 1st 2007, 08:06:28 PM
I have lived in LA and can say for sure that chasing the bad guy is a low-tech solution that is out dated. It would be easier to have captured data about the vehicle and the driver when he stopped. After he ran away use the unlimited technology we have to identify his location. Aprehend him/her at their home or place of work and serve them with the appropriate license suspension, etc. The video in the cruiser would validate that the right person had been served, no one would have been driving 90+ MPH and the officer could return to their family in one piece as well. I am sure that the officer who was responsible for injuries the driver suffered does not enjoy living with his/her part of the equation. Another side note is for anyone to pretend that people going 73 in a 55 is an unusual occurance, open your eyes. Sadly to keep up with traffic in the fast lane or middle lane often requires more than 55mph; cars today simply reach faster speeds more quickly than in the 70's when these fuel-saving speeds were imposed. Chasing the bad guy is not the most efficient way to prosecute a criminal act. Drive Wise!
By Dan miller | Posted: May 1st 2007, 03:03:58 PM
If the Police can't give chase, what will prevent EVERYONE from attempting to elude them?
By Nick | Posted: May 1st 2007, 02:40:14 PM
If the car was not reported stolen, and the cops had the tag, then it does not seems sensible to put more lives at risk by chasing the idiot. Go pick him up later, sieze the car and arrest him for evading police.
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