Hunting the Great White ... Minivan

Special to FreeRepublic ^ | 10 June 2005 | John Armor (Congressman Billybob)

[NoCmpromiz]

Ping4later

[EditorDoug]

This "reply" is to the thread in general, rather than start a new article on it...not to C.Billybob in particular.

Sharp-Toothed Lasso
H'yah!!! Round 'em up!

For a long, long time, I've been thinking about the harpoon being used to stop high-speed chases. Today, for the first time, I decided to search on the Internet to see if others were talking about this...because it seems so damn obvious. I was pleased to find the short mention of it in http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1419756/posts, "Hunting the Great White ... Minivan"

Then perused the rest of the thread. I disagree that a vehicle cannot be stopped using a harpoon in sheet metal. Surely it can if the design takes every possibility into consideration.

Although I am not one, it would be good if enough people with money and connections could get a working prototype going to present and prove that the idea is viable. When it's just talk, it isn't going far...but a working model just might eliminate the practice altogether.

The general public should not be subjected to high-speed chases. And the unfortunate truth is that people get injured as the result of chases that simply were not known to be for stopping a criminal involved in a crime of greater impact than the negative results of the chase.

Harpoon with built in rivet spread effect, covering a big enough area beyond the sheet metal impact point so as to not tear out. Officer's car mechanism for emergency release in case the officer's car is being dangerously dragged (explosive or powered threads spun to release the threaded back end of the harpoon cable assembly).

Additionally, homing devices which can be fired at the escaping vehicle, attaching themselves by harpoon-like body-piercing, fast-acting epoxy, high-intensity magnet or other means. Alternatives would be black-light or other glowing paint or a tiny loud siren to make the vehicle stand out to police vehicles including helicopters. Both of these in case the suspect's vehicle does escape. Although such could be removed by suspects, that would take time, stopping and getting out of the car to accomplish.

[RockinRight]

Great White??

[Little Ray]

Have a better idea - a mandatory beating of the driver of the fleeing car after the chase is concluded. All officers who participated in the chase may beat and kick the offender until they (the officers) tire out. They may also invite inconvenienced bystanders to particpate as well.
The event will filmed and the film distributed to the various news channels.