Toddler's death after State Police chase reignites debate on pursuits: 'No simple answer'

nola.com ^ | 6/30/17 | EMILY LANE

[Alberta's Child]

Let’s just call it a very late term abortion and move on.

[shanover]

Let me guess the occupants....

Yup. Really, that has very little to do relative in factoring in this case, but in more cases than not this is the scenario.

One day the cruiser will have a mechanism to EMP the electrical system of a car rendering it unusable. The technology is out there.

[Chewbarkah]

Do you know whether the police even knew a child was in the vehicle, or that the passenger was not wearing a safety belt? Kenneth Davis knew, and also knew he was armed and dangerous. Should police not bother to pursue a suicidal criminal who recklessly endangers the lives even of his own child and friend, much less bystanders? Implying this was only a matter of recovering stolen property seems inaccurate.

[mass55th]

My car’s insured too, but I have no idea what point you are trying to make as it relates to this case. You’re creating a scenario that didn’t happen in this incident. Try again.

[mass55th]

What was she doing in the left lane if there were no other cars on the road? Was she driving in the UK?

[BobL]

“What is up with these people?”

Perhaps they figure that if enough kids are killed, the cops will be forced into not chasing anymore.

[Uncle Sham]

With today’s technology, car chases are stupid. Especially if it is for a traffic offense. High speed car chases are much more dangerous to innocent drivers than are any of the possible offenses being pursued. Identifying cars is solvable at the factory. Do it there.

[BBell]

Kennedy, whose 2006 article, 'A comparative analysis of police vehicle pursuit policies," appeared in Justice Quarterly, said almost every law enforcement agency has a policy determining when it is appropriate to chase a suspect and what is supposed to happen after the chase starts. The danger in letting suspects get away most every time, he said, is that criminals can become emboldened if they know they can hit the gas and get away with most anything.

[BBell]

Kennedy, whose 2006 article, 'A comparative analysis of police vehicle pursuit policies," appeared in Justice Quarterly, said almost every law enforcement agency has a policy determining when it is appropriate to chase a suspect and what is supposed to happen after the chase starts. The danger in letting suspects get away most every time, he said, is that criminals can become emboldened if they know they can hit the gas and get away with most anything.

[BBell]

The windows were tinted so the troopers did not know.

State Police said Wednesday the girl was not properly restrained. Matey elaborated Thursday, saying the toddler was in a "high-back booster" seat that was not properly strapped onto the car seat when she was thrown from the car. While the lap strap was fastened to the booster seat, Matey said, the shoulder strap appeared to have been pushed behind the booster. Children Washington's age are too young and small for booster seats, Matey said, and are required by law to be fastened in either a rear-or forward-facing car seat with a five-point harness.

[BBell]

The technology is out there.

Yes, And it scares me as it could easily get in the wrong hands.

[neverevergiveup]

“What was she doing in the left lane if there were no other cars on the road? Was she driving in the UK?”

It’s a two lane interstate. She entered the interstate and just got into the left lane - as many people do. She didn’t notice there were no cars until she drove a bit, and then the car chase was passing her. This is my wife we’re talking about, and it was a serious situation that upset me tremendously. Our son was an infant at the time. Don’t understand your point.

[mass55th]

I don’t know what state you live in, but here in NY State, when there’s two lanes, you’re taught to stay in the right hand land, and only use the left lane if you intend to pass someone, or if there’s an exit lane coming up on the left.

[murron]

She was also not seatbelted.

[neverevergiveup]

If my wife had been in the right lane, she would have still been at risk, as there were multiple police cars in addition to the suspect’s car flying by at very high speed. What lane she was in is irrelevant. She was at risk, and my son could have lost his mother, as another family (that of the police officer who crashed) lost their loved one. We have better ways to track and apprehend people these days, and it's not acceptable to put citizens at risk.