Personally, I have thought for years that most police chases should be banned. This is a case in point—7 people died because the police are chasing a person guilty of a traffic infraction? Good grief!
There is a device under development that is essentially a stun gun for cars. It backdoors a high energy magnetic pulse through the ground plane of the car and blows the ignition computer or the ignition system for carbureted cars.
In Fremont where I live a while ago. The police had a gadget that could turn the light in an intersection red. The fire department had it too.
The police in Fremont could have probably prevented this accident.
BTW - Fresno is pretty heavily infested with gangs.
these chases are nothing more than state sponsored terrorism. Police need to focus on more effective, and smarter ways, as opposed to flashy chases.
Will know what kind of fool drives around with kids exposed to this shortly.
Every officer who was involved should be charged with murder.
EMP/HERF/Shock Pulse Generators
Shock wave generators are capable of producing focused acoustic or electromagnetic energy that can break up objects such as kidney stones and other similar materials. EMP generators can produce pulses of electromagnetic energy that can destroy the sensitive electronics in computers and microprocessors. Destabilized LCR circuits can produce multi megawatt pulses by using an explosive wire disruptive switch. These high power pulses can be coupled into antennas, conic sections, horns etc for very directional effects. Research is currently being undertaken to disable vehicles thus avoiding dangerous high speed chases. The trick is to generate a high enough power pulse to fry the electronic control processor modules. This could be a lot simpler if the vehicle was covered in plastic or fiber glass rather than metal. The shielding of the metal body offers a challenge to the researcher to develop a practical system. A system could be built that could do this but would be costly, large and produce collateral damage to friendly targets.
Way too many of these people are repeat offenders who thought it would be "worth it" to do it again.
Just like repeat robbers, murderers, etc. that the judges keep turning loose.
If the cops decided not to chase anyone, the perps would adopt that as standard procedure and all hell would break loose.
I just have a hard time believing that there’s no better way to catch criminals. That being said, seven people dead over a traffic infraction is not worth it.
These articles are the basis for libertarian nocturnal ejaculations.
Somebody loads a pickup with kids, no seat belts, and cruises around town. Some idiots racing around town smash into them and cause multiple deaths. If this happened without a police chase who would be blamed? In order to place blame a lot of people posting here would be forced to think instead of blaming police.
Whew. This is a hilarious thread in a sick kind of way. It’s like a window into DU bizarro world, where they would be posting exactly the same kind of replies I am seeing on the first thread page. It’s the cops’ fault that some simpleton crashed and killed a van full of kids. It’s all the cops’ fault.
Somday we may have a better way, until then give this driver the death penalty.
Just a minor note about the location. This did not happen in Fresno, or even Fresno County. The chase began in Dinuba, which is in in Tulare County and the pursuit terminated at Road 120 and Avenue 424, which is also in Tulare County.
RIP.
We can all agree what happened in this incident was truly tragic – especially the innocent lives lost. It is called reality. The reality happens in war when innocents are involved. I’m sure all of us can also agree, the police and their departments are daily put in a ‘Damned if you do, and Damned if you don’t’ position, often with seconds to decide in the ‘heat of the event.’ Back off and the suspect does harm elsewhere, their butt is on the line. Make the wrong decision, same outcome.
It is easy for the Monday morning experts to pontificate after the fact. For example, we have ProdigalSon (Post 20) who apparently isn't aware of the 'real world,' even though unrealistic intentions are good:
The police have a duty to apprehend in a manner that is safe for the public. For example, a policeman might really want to shoot a fleeing suspect but he should not fire if it occurs on a crowded sidewalk and many (or even just a few) civilians are going to get caught in the crossfire.
That is the perfect world he describes. But reality is not perfect and by the numbers. It comes in differenct forms often without warnings or hints on what is going down.
In the link below, after arriving at a bank robbery and the suspect info given, the female officer takes off to catch up to the suspect. Unknowingly, while in heavy traffic, she pulls up right next to him (the second car (dark) in the left turn lane). At that very moment he fired a shot and hit her windshield. No time here to be PC and wonder about the public around you - it's time to stop the threat -NOW!! Near the end you can see the suspect running. He ended up losing, forever:
(If the link freezes up, hit the progress circle once or twice and it will start. Otherwise it will fast forward to the end)
Here split seconds in public -- all rules are ignored - not a time to wring hands about the public and what might or might not happen - it is called self-survial my friend:
And this classic from Gargantua (Post 158).
Do you disagree with those police departments who have adopted the policy of not continuing the pursuit if the speeds become excessive in populated areas or on busy thouroughfares? That is "protecting and serving." There is no such thing as a situation or set of circumstances which can crop up which gives the police a pass on that first and most-important DUTY. You do understand the word "duty," don't you?
To a degree he is correct. Not continuing the pursuit in most cases involves low-level crimes especially when the suspect is known and can be located. The bolded shows he is out to lunch.
In the 1970’s, there was an chase incident which often raises red flags with an officer: ‘Why’ did they run? Especially in this case with the car having out of state plates.
The officer by chance was following an out of state car and decided to pull into a service station to make a pit stop. The car ahead of him did also. But when the officer also pulled in, the other car took off quickly. Officer’s intuition came into play and he pursued the car. End result: the car belonged to a homicide victim. In the trunk they found the victim’s ID. The driver was his killer. At first the driver pulled in to the station to ditch him. But, on seeing the officer follow him in, he thought he had been made and took off. Only because the officer had to take a leak, a killer was caught!
I’m reminded of a slow-speed ‘chase’ by LAPD where it was on the freeway, off to the streets, back on the freeway, etc. Several times the following car had the chance to PIT the car with no citizens around. End result: Suspect back onto the streets, pulled into a restaurant, ran inside with officers chasing him. I thought, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!! What if the suspect is armed and trapped inside with the public around him? Why let an ‘unknown’ escalate into possible hostages or customers caught in the cross-fire. Then it would have been turned around into Monday morning quarter-backing something should have been done beforehand – Catch-22. He continues:
I know how stimulating and cool it must be to hit the siren and mash the gas, but these are supposed to be professionals whose first obligation is to the public, not to their gonads..."
Here are examples of officers just wanting to “hit the siren and “mash the gas" according to you:
Just a little old ‘routine traffic stop’
Just a minor violator – unkown what else he was facing
Armed robber ‘only’ held up three businesses and ‘only’ fired at the pursuing officer several times
Just a little old armed bank robber, then fired on the officer during pursit
"...Many times, another cop will get in the path of the fleeing vehicle and later claim "HE TRIED TO HIT ME!!! ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY WEAPON!!! What a crock of urine.
Crock of urine? Should we shocked by a childish comment like that from a chowder-skull. Put down your Kool-Aid and Cheeto’s and tell that to the loved ones of those injured and maimed or, in particular those killed in the line of duty as the result of pursuits and vehicular assault:
Vehicular Assault deaths - 2000 – present:
2009: 8
2008: 12
2007: 9
2006: 17
2005: 4
2004: 18
2003: 9
2002: 12
2001: 17
2000: 14